Reverends Nyondo, Chipofya refuse to apologise to Tumbuka chiefs
Livingstonia Synod general secretary Reverend Levi Nyondo and the church moderator Reverend Douglas Chipofya have refused to apologise to Tumbuka chiefs for demanding that some political leaders speak during the funeral ceremony of Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe on Tuesday.
Nyondo said there was nothing wrong that he and Chipofya did.
“As church, our role is to ensure that democracy is at work, this is why we were requesting the Leader of Opposition in parliament Right Honourable Lazarus Chakwera and the president of the United Transformation Movement (UTM) Right Honourable Saulos Chilima to give their eulogies,” said Nyondo.
A letter signed by chief principal group village headman Kabazamawe, chief principal group village headman Khalapamhanya, principal group village headman Kamzinga and principal group village headman Hunga is asking the top synod officials to apologise for allegedly causing mayhem during the funeral ceremony.
“We did not like the conduct of the two synod officials for dishonouring our late paramount chief by causing confusion and chaos during thefuneral ceremony,” says the letter in part.
The letter says the funeral ceremony was a state event, saying as such it is the family in collaboration with the state who decides who should speak and who should not be.
Tension started building at the funeral after director of ceremonies Chimbizga Msimuko of taxpayer-funded Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) clarified on an intervention by Nyondo to acknowledge the presence of estranged Vice-President Saulos Chilima at the ceremony.
But the director of ceremonies responded by asking all speakers to only acknowledge President Peter Mutharika in their salutations. Nyondo, who was on the initial list of speakers, was later skipped.
The synod leadership, which sanctioned commencement of the service before the President’s arrival, accused government of sidelining other political leaders.
Immediately after taking over the programme, a visibly fired up synod moderator the Reverend Douglas Chipofya announced that Nyondo, Chakwera and Chilima would speak before the church section of the ceremony. His announcement drew applause from sections of the mourners.
He said: “If the GS [Nyondo] does not speak, it means the Synod of Livingstonia has not spoken and that is unheard of.”
Chipofya’s announcement stirred panic and group village head Kazamawe moved in to seize the microphone from Chipofya, stating that protocol does not allow anyone to speak after the President.
At this point, Nyondo emotionally threatened that his church would not proceed with the funeral programme and declared that the chiefs carry over: “Tiphalazgenge yaye! Mafumu walutulizgenge [We won’t preach, let the chiefs takeover].”
But the clergy were persuaded to proceed and Kazamawe said : “We accept that government erred by not including other political leaders on the programme, but they should not speak after the President has already spoken. This should never happen again.
“We ask you as a church to preach the message in honour of Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe who loved attending church services.”
When the synod resumed the programme, Chipofya ignored the President’s presence and only saluted Chilima, Chakwera, the Speaker and other dignitaries.
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Democracy mpamaliro pomwe. Hehede, Malawi is heading for yet another interesting leadership will one of these two aspiring candidates take the mantle. They even not feel ashamed of themselves. Nthawi yanu nkhalamba zidzavutika komanso ulemu wamaliro ndikuuona ukudzatha.
What was the synod’s intention? Were they trying to hold presidential debate? These other leaders and their followers are proving to me that they lack maturity. They are useless too and they totally have nothing on offer to us. Instead of making their manifesto clear they are allowing to be used as puppets by politically oriented churches. These other churches are political parties. By the way what is the essence of bringing eulogy political debate at the great chief’s funeral?
Livingstonia under nyondo has been fiercely fighting DPP. The battle started long away in Bingu’s era and only brought to a brief ceasefire in JB’s two yr rule. Noticing this APM, the true leader, sent an olive branch to Lev nyondo and his secretariate soon after DPP’s reelection in 2014 which nyondo proved to have turned down. Dispite all this APM has been engaging the synod by holding prayers with them, remembering them in development programmes, allowing the government to assist in the synod’s University and even by going to preside over their graduation celemonies which is a rare in… Read more »
It’s absurd to note how the totally blind opposition guys are failing to appreciate what APM has done in 4years. Beautiful roads, state of art infrastructures, great maintenance works in our higher learning institutions, new state of art furnitures in our higher learning institutions offices etc. Even though some are backing this dictator rev nyondo, the guy is so stubbon and confussionist. How can a church hijack the funeral ceremony from the family members. It was clear right from the beginning that this dictator, the guy who is seeking the 4th term beating the synod’s constitution term of two years… Read more »
Stupid zero deficit, there is no development in malawi
Don’tapologise! Whois Mutharika &wherewashewhenwewerefightingfor Multi-party? Kungobwera basi & get the presidency on a silver platter ndikumatiberanso? Akagwere, Mxiew!
No way for Nyondo and Chipofya to apologise.Inu mukunyozanu kanyozani mungotengapo tembelero.Petala wako ukunenayo palibe akuchita mmalawi muno iwe anakupangila chain?Musalimbane ndi azitumiki aMulungu uzasiya tsiku lina zimenezo.
I am writing from PHALOMBE and Lomwe clan. The Church was NOT wrong at all and these Tumbuka Chiefs are very wrong because it appears they were there to please their president and not following Democracy. I am so shocked to see these Tumbuka Chiefs taking wrong direction and always have saluted them due to their Schools. It is pitiful to hear that they still want the Church to kneel down before them?
I don’t see anything to apologize for. They did nothing wrong. Problem is that APM has been wrongly advised and, in the process, misled by his so-called advisors that funeral occasions present a golden opportunity for him to gain some mileage in popularity. Unfortunately, depending on how the funeral program has been arranged, one can lose popularity instead.
Let’s imagine the program offered Chakwera and Chilima an opportunity to speak before APM. The President would have scored a winner.
Eduardo… better are the two reverends with hatred towards Mutharika Family than Mutharika Family having wholesale hatred towards 2 million+ northerners
Chindere Zeleza! So you know that all the confusion in the north is led by the two reverends????? What is your interest about the north??????????? If they confuse the north, is it your mother or uncles that will be affected????? North ikome pano??? Ife kuno ku North timalowola, ndiye aliyense MPONGOZI timampasa ulemu. How can IN-LAWS (Chakwera and SKC) be denied an opportunity to speak at a funeral of their In-law Chikulamayembe and someone (APM) who is not even close to us allowed to speak in the name of State President. Presiding over which state??? Since 1994 Malawi has been… Read more »