The Deputy Minister of Local Government, Halima Daudi on Friday advised against rushing to court with wrangles on chieftaincy but rather resolve them within the royal families.

She made the remarks during the elevation ceremony of Mikayere John from group village headman chikalema to sub- Traditional Authority chikalema in Neno District.

Daudi said that matters in court take time to be concluded and that affects a lot of things including development. She decried the increased number of remaining unresolved cases in various courts of the country.

The minister said: “There are many cases in court on chieftaincy disputes in the country so is Neno, as government we cannot interfere but we will advise them to resolve them peacefully within the royal families and not rushing to courts.”

Earlier during the ceremony, Traditional Authority Mlauli, speaking on behalf of Senior chief Dambe and Chairperson of Neno Council, Biswas Maganga pleaded with the deputy minister to intervene in the matter of Chekucheku chieftaincy which remains vacant for six years.

“There has not been balance in terms of development among our areas as we see that the absence of the title holder has made it difficult for the area to receive developmental activities properly,” Mlauli said.

Former President Arthur Peter Mutharika in 2015 upheld the decision by his predecessor, Joyce Banda to relieve Francis Magombo from the title of Traditional Authority Chekucheku after a spate of demonstrations from the subjects who demanded for his removal on allegations of corruption and abuse of power among other things.

Magombo challenged the decision through a number of court applications some of which have not been concluded.