Malawi Minister Calls for Sanity in Village Head Establishment
Malawi minister calls for more organized village head establishment, writes Fletcher Chiponda.
Lilongwe, Malawi — Malawi's Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture, Richard Chimwendo Banda, has called for a more organised and structured approach to the establishment of village heads, writes Fletcher Chiponda.
During the elevation ceremony of Traditional Authority Kafuzira and Mponde to senior chiefs in Nkhotakota, Chimwendo highlighted the current chaotic system of appointing village heads, emphasising the need for a policy that provides guidelines for traditional leaders.
He expressed concerns that the current process leads to problems for both the chiefs and the government.
"We need a policy that guides our traditional leaders in promoting or establishing new village headmen. Once we have a clear process in place, we will be able to support them and enable them to receive the honorarium they deserve. The current situation is that many chiefs are being established without the mandate of traditional authorities or the district council, and this goes against the policy of controlled village expansion seen in other areas," explained Chimwendo.
Chimwendo further urged chiefs to seek resolution of chieftaincy disputes through dialogue rather than resorting to litigation.
He emphasised that the government cannot endorse chiefs who are involved in court cases.
"We encourage people to prioritise dialogue over rushing to the courts. If they choose the court route, it hinders our ministry from promoting them, which ultimately affects the progress of development as they won't have a representative at the national level," he stated.
Representing the chiefs at the ceremony, Senior Chief Kanyenda expressed the need for increased government support for the chiefs.
He pointed out that chiefs in Malawi are not adequately compensated for their work and lack the privileges enjoyed by their counterparts in neighbouring countries.
"Chiefs, you are not taken care of. We are only needed when it suits others, and I won't mention when that is. It is only in Malawi that chiefs do not enjoy the privileges that chiefs in neighbouring countries have. The government should consider allowing other chiefs, such as traditional authorities and senior chiefs, to purchase cars duty-free," stated Kanyenda.
While the elevation ceremony focused on the traditional aspects, there were some political overtones present.
Party officials were heard encouraging the gathering to support the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), emphasising the party's history of supporting chiefs.