MZUZU-(MaraviPost)-Paramount Chief Kyungu of Karonga has appealed to government and sports authorities in the country to ban the ferrying of sports teams in trucks and open vehicles.
This follows the death of 22 people who were part of players and supporters of Nyungwe Football Club in Karonga.
Paramount Chief Kyungu said this today as he sent a condolence message to the bereaved families.
The Chief says the loss of many lives in such a tragic manner is heartbreaking, as such, authorities should consider enforcement of the law.
The twenty two (22) died after the vehicle they were travelling in was involved in an accident at Tenenthe, along the Chitipa- Karonga road last night as the team was returning from a football match in Chitipa.
KARONGA-(MaraviPost)-President Lazarus Chakwera has underscored the need for Malawian to promote and preserve Culture as a precursor for the country to foster social economic development and unity.
The President said this on Saturday during the inaugural Karonga-Chitipa cultural festival held at Mpande Hill in Karonga under the theme promoting unity, love, and respect for elderly and ending mob justice among the communities.
In his remarks Chakwera, said unity is the only way a nation can obtain meaningful development hence called for tolerance among different tribes in the country.
Adding that his administration is committed in championing co-existence among people of different cultures and ensuring that there is no favoritism in awarding government contracts and recruitment.
“The work of government is leading all Malawian in making a contribution to the cause of making Malawi better but this can only be achievd through national unity and preservation of culture,” he said.
Speaking earlier Paramount Chief Kyungu, bemoaned continued child marriages in the two districts and urged fellow Traditional Leaders to do more in stopping the malpractice.
“If we are to develop our two districts we must ensure that our youth today realize that they are the major human resource for development and key agents of social change and economic growth hence we must promote education,” said his royal highness.
He however asked Government for support in putting in place effective mechanisms that will help to end gender based violence and the promotion of girl child education.
On his part Karonga Chitipa Heritage Vice Chairperson Wantwa Mwahimba, commended the people of the two districts for honoring the ceremony saying the cultural festival has increased the strong bond, love and cultural values shared among the people of Karonga and Chitipa.
The function was characterized by different traditional dances, music, presentation of traditional foods and beverages and among notable guests who graced the event included Vice President Saolos Chilima, Cabinet Ministers, Paramounts Gomani V and Lundu and foreign Senior Chiefs from Zambia.
Agness Nyalonje (Centre) presiding over the release of PSLCE examinations results last month
Mzuzu-(MaraviPost)—Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Agnes NyaLonje, has disclosed that about 200 secondary schools and 260 primary schools in the country have no potable water in the face of the incessant pandemic of Covid-19.
Speaking on Friday during an interface meeting with opinion leaders in Mzuzu, the minister said after assessing the current situation, her ministry already has plans to drill boreholes in the schools as one way of combating the pandemic through regular hand washing.
“What we have decided is that instead of spending a lot of money on tents and providing tents as a temporary measure in the schools, we feel that while it may take a bit longer, it’s better to invest the few resources that we have in more permanent structures which can be done more quickly but also be as durable as possible,” explained NyaLonje.
The minister further said the ministry has been allocated K5 billion which will be used to drill boreholes, construction of 363 classrooms and recruitment of 3,270 new primary school teachers.
In his remarks, Minister of Justice, Titus Mvalo, who is also a member of the Presidential taskforce on Cvid-19, said there is need for the taskforce to engage with community leaders and share with them their findings on the gravity of Covid-19 for the benefit of the locals.
Mvalo said: “The engagement with traditional leaders and the religious leaders is very very important because these are the leaders that are with the people in the villages, in church; everywhere, in markets they are with people and people listen to them.”
One the traditional leaders, Paramount Chief Kyungu of Karonga District, appealed to government to fully resource the leaders for them to be able to identify challenges which have come about due to the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the taskforce has advised that schools should remain closed for at least a fortnight so that further assessment on the safety of learners and teachers is conducted.
Paramount Chief Kyungu disputes social media reports of him against 50+1 bill
KARONGA-(MaraviPost)-Powerful chief, Paramount Chief Kyungu of Karonga and Chitipa have attacked the social media users for spreading force news that senior traditional leaders petitioned Parliament to reject the 50+1 bill.
Kyungu made the remarks after a picture gone viral in a social media showing some senior chiefs pausing at the parliament where it is alleged that they were presenting a petition.
Below is Kyungu’s statement;
Below is a photo showing Traditional Leaders allegedly presenting a petion calling on MPs to reject the 50+1 Bill.
However. NO chief or group of chiefs ever went anywhere to present such a petition!
In the picture putting on a hat and holding a stick is the late Paramount Chief Ngolongoliwa who died in July 2019.
One wonders therefore how the late chief could have come to life solely to present the so-called petion.
The photo has gone viral in the social media.
May it be put on record that the Traditional Leaders captured on the above photo are NOT politicians as such they cannot and will not engage parliamentarians on the issue of 50+1 bill because they are NOT parliamentarians and the Constitutional Court did not ask or direct Traditional Leaders to debate or make a decision regarding the pros and cons of the 50+1 bill.
In view of the above l call upon the social media to decist from publishing false and destructive stories aimed at character association.
Traditional Leaders have always worked with the Government of the Day and shall continue doing so in accordance with the Malawi Constitution.
Social media must stop from humiliating or tarnishing the image of Traditional Leaders.
It must tell its readers only the TRUTH not LIES in order to build a better Malawi with LOVE. RESPECT AND DIGNITY.
Paramount Chief Kyungu of Karonga has asked the next government to revisit Chiefs Act for chiefs to run their chieftaincies in a traditional manner.
Written by George Bulombola
Chitipa, May 07, 2019: Paramount Chief Kyungu of Karonga has asked the next government to revisit Chiefs Act for chiefs to run their chieftaincies in a traditional manner.
He was speaking Monday at Chitipa Boma during a rally which was addressed by President Peter Mutharika after inaugurating Kasama Community College.
He said it was unfortunate that most of the issues which affect chieftaincies end up in courts instead of leaving the issues to be resolved by the chiefs themselves.
“Government installs a chief today only to be challenged by a court injunction obtained by opposing members of the same chieftaincy.”
“This tendency has turned chiefs into school children, I therefore ask you the President to revisit the Chiefs Act through the next parliament to resolve these issues, so that chiefs resolve chieftaincy issues traditionally,” Kyungu explained.
Commenting on the May 21 Tripartite Elections, the Paramount Chief appealed to all political parties to refrain from making hatred speeches during their campaign rallies.
“We want to have free, fair and credible elections; we do not want to experience bloodshed due to political intolerance.”
“These innocent souls before you, Sir, do not want war,”he said.
Kyungu called on Malawians to respect the President saying lack of respect to leadership is inhumane.
He advised people in Karonga and Chitipa districts to exercise their democratic right by voting for leaders of their choice.
“Voting is your democratic right but you should not be told who to vote for,” the Chief advised.
As one way of becoming self-reliant newly Promoted TNM Super League side Karonga United has organized a fundraising dinner and dance set to take place on the 26th January, this year at Karonga Museum.
According to the organizing chairperson of the gala William Machona Ngwira, the event is aimed at raising funds for the club for its activities ahead of the upcoming kick-off of the season set for April.
“As you know Karonga United has no sponsorship and finding one is a process so to mitigate some of the financial challenges that we are facing we thought of organizing this dinner and dance function to assist the day to day running of the club in the super league,” he said.
He disclosed the organizing committee has therefore set aside a target of MK 5 Million at the fundraising event.
Ngwira said the raised money will go a long way for the club to carry out some of their targets which includes upkeep allowances for players, coaching staff and transfers to biff up the squad.
According to Ngwira, popular locally made dishes will be served at the event including rice and mbalagha, local dances will spice up the event and guest expected will include Paramount Chief Kyungu, Speaker of the National Assembly Richard Msowoya and Bishop Abraham Simama among others.
“The Karonga community has done a lot for the club and continue to self-sponsor the club and we hope on 26th January they will turn up in large numbers to fundraise for their beloved club,” added Ngwira.
Hilary Mwalwenje a local based pundit, has commended Karonga united for organizing the event.
Saying the clubs past struggles in the super league have been down to lack of financial incentive and motivation.
He adds, the situation of lack of sponsorship has posed a serious threat to have a strong and settle side in the elite division.
Traditional leaders in Karonga openly told their senior, Paramount Chief Kyungu that they will not allow the distortion of their Ingonde culture by refugees.
The chiefs said this over the weekend when Kyungu was seeking support from the chiefs.
Traditional leaders and the Karonga-Chitipa Heritage have agreed to seek a court injunction against the relocation of refugee camp from Dzaleka Refugee Camp to Katili area in Karonga district.
The chiefs together with the Area Development Committee, Councillors and law maker for the area Frank Mwenefumbo, over the weekend penned the Ministry of Home Affairs to immediately stop the project.
Speaking to the media after their meetings, Karonga-Chitipa Heritage Chairperson Afraid Mwambira said they will present the traditional leaders, MP, councillors and Area Development Committee’s decision on the matter to the Home Affairs Ministry this week.
“We have finalized our meetings with traditional leaders here in Karonga and I can confirm that over hundreds of them have vowed to deal with it,” said Mwambira.
Secretary for Karonga-Chitipa Heritage Wantwa Mwahimba while concurring with Mwambira wondered how the Paramount Chief Kyungu could tell the government that people and traditional leaders in the district welcome the refugee camp.
“Kyungu is a liar, if indeed the traditional leaders and people in the district are not against the relocation of the camp they would have not penned the Home Affairs Ministry,” Mwahimba said.
He accused the Kyungu and people who support the camp for being betrayers and selfish.
Mwenefumbo warned that he would use his financial means to block the project legally.
According to him, the distribution of the land to the UNHCR by the Government and Paramount Chief Kyungu was illegal.
“The current Land Act does not allow the chiefs to distribute the land to anyone on their own,” said Mwenefumbo.
He said Karonga has no capacity to keep 29 thousands people because it is already overpopulated.
Mwenefumbo schooled a group of people who claimed that the camp will bring developmental change at Katili when relocated that the UNHCR does not bring developments but that it is the mandate of UNDP.
He also said that the Kyungu and Minister Chiumia are deceiving the country’s President that everything is fine on the ground while it is not.
“President Peter Mutharika cannot impose things to his people, if he had known the truth about this issue, he would have ordered the minister to stop it,” he said.
However, the Kyungu and the committee that went to inspect Dzaleka refugee camp says government should go ahead.
Minister of Home Affairs Grace Obama Chiumia said her ministry will not stop the project because all the chiefs and people who they consulted, welcome it.
Kyungu leading the reform team to inspect the houses
The office of the Vice President through the department of the public service reform has said it will take action against the officials involved in the plundering of millions of public fund at Karonga district council.
Speaking after inspecting some of the suspected cash gate houses, spokesperson for public reform services Constance Kaimo said they will report the matter to the vice President.
According to Kaimo, such kind of malpractice always affects government’s developmental projects.
“We are going to report this to our boss and sooner or later you will see the outcome. This kind of malpractice is killing development in the councils,” said Kaimo.
In his remarks, Paramount Chief Kyungu who lodged the complaint said government should start dismissing such kind of officers saying “they are selfish.”
Kyungu wondered how the civil servants who have been in their offices for two to three years could manage building such big mansions.
“It’s not only the mansions, the same officers are buying two to three cars within the year but the question is how. And the bad thing is that despite producing evidence no proper action is taken from the above,” said Kyungu.
A report confided to this reporter indicate that officials have been misusing different kind of fund of the council which include the malata subsidy program, Local Development Fund and market revenues
among others.
However, government failed to take any action, a development which is making the community to think of dealing with the matter on their own.
