By Robert Kumwenda
Some 73 village headmen and 9 group village headmen in the area of former T/A Chekucheku in Neno have written a letter to the quasi-religious body Public Affairs Committee (PAC) to intervene in the Chekucheku chieftancy wrangle.
The VH and GVH are saying that they are not staying as citizens of Neno than during the one party era of the former ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and they have since asked government to transfer the following people G.B Sitolo of the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC) AlICK Milanzi and Jonasi Sinodeni from the assembly and Charles Mb’alaka from the police.
The chiefs are saying that 6 different chiefs have been coming to help to resolve the wrangles surrounding Chekucheku chieftancy but nothing has materialized hence the reason for asking PAC to ask the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Kondwani Nankumwa to help in resolving.
One of the chiefs Village Headman Donda Kang’ombe said the reports which were said about the former T/A Chekucheku were not true.
He said there is corruption in development projects such as the Local Development Fund (LDF) saying that Alick Milanzi and Jonasi Sinodeni from the assembly the put money meant for the chiefs in their pockets.
Kang’ombe is also asking PAC to ask the President because he signed the letter of dismissal for the former chief to intervene because everything which was said about the former chief was not true like grabbing people land, denying development and appointing his own chiefs.
Another concerned chief Group Village Takulanawo said they should give evidence because G.B Sitolo from the OPC is instructing the police when this is not his duty.
He said he sends wrong reports to the Ministry of Local Government while he himself also stays is the area of former chief Chekucheku.
“An auditor S.K Financial Consultancy and General Dealers was engaged and he indeed found that money meant for the chiefs was coming from the Local Government to the assembly but was reaching in the hands of Alick Milanzi.
“Alick Milanzi and Jonasi Sinodeni they appoint their own Village Headmen group Village Headmen without informing the chief of the area, when paying money for the chiefs (mswahala) they use the police to threaten us so we are wondering if this happens in other areas” he said.
So the chiefs are asking PAC to intervene and they went on to saying that they should come to investigate and they should appoint land or anything that the former chief grab or took from anyone.
The chiefs are saying from Nsanje to Chitipa there is no chief who has been victimized than former chief Chekucheku.
Unconfirmed reports say that a man known as Stranger Moffati Joiliji Chekucheku has been appointed to be installed as new chief Chekucheku and injunction has already been taken against him.
Attempts to hear the views of the accused persons proved futile as they could not be reached on their mobile cellphones.
