Reverend Levi Nyondo of Livingstonia Synod has hit back at Inkosi ya Makosi M’mbelwa V for ordering the church leave his area for preaching against beer and polygamy among the ngoni in Mzimba district.

Inkosi M’mbelwa is on record to have said that the Livingstonia Synod should stop interfering with ngoni culture which allows them to practice polygamy and drink beer, saying this is against a memorandum of understanding signed by the two sides.

M’mbelwa’s remarks followed what Reverend Nyondo said during the installation ceremony of Traditional Authority (T/A) Mzukuzuku of Mzimba at Ephawemi Headquarters, saying polygamy and beer drinking is contrary to the church’s doctrine.

“Did we approach the church or it was them who approached us to work together? Why are they trying to complicate the memorandum of understanding which we signed with them? Do they want us to break the MoU now? Watch your tongue!

“Have you ever seen a chief making a mistake? If they decide to discipline us, then I have the mandate to chase them out of our land because we agreed all this,” M’mbelwa said

Speaking in an interview with the press after the threat, Reverend Nyondo said the church is not moved with Chief M’mbelwa’s threat.

“Beer drinking and polygamy is a sin. We cannot condone sine. We don’t worship culture, we worship God. We will never change our stand on these issues,” said Nyondo.

Reverend Nyondo also denied signing a memorandum of understanding between the church and the ngoni chiefs.