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| Makombe: We've lost our authority to DPP chairpersons |
A bitter wrangle has erupted in Thyolo Central Constituency involving Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) constituency and area chairpersons and chiefs with the latter accusing the politicians of wielding unnecessary power and assuming the roles of traditional authorities.
Recently, some traditional leaders [group village headpersons and village heads] lodged a complaint with Member of Parliament for the area, Kingsley Namakhwa, to the effect that their roles as adjudicators of civil matters had been usurped by the DPP chairpersons.
According to the chiefs, party leaders had become ‘untouchable’ and were wielding powers more than those of a traditional leader. They said even at funerals, the politicians where receiving more respect than chiefs, a development that did not please the traditional leaders.
Namakhwa confirmed being approached by the chiefs. The chiefs requested him to help in solving the wrangle and ease the tension that had been created between politicians and custodians of our traditions, customs and culture.
“I was told party leaders were setting up parallel court structures where they [chairpersons] were trying and passing judgment on matters that are outside their jurisdiction,” said the MP.
At an inter-parte that took place at Khonjeni on Monday, GVH Makombe asked Namakhwa to discipline his people and civic educate them on their roles and responsibilities.
“This practice has been happening for a long time. Our role as chiefs is being overlooked because party chairpersons are now handling all the civil cases happening here,” said Makombe rather hopelessly.
“We’ve been exchanging bitter words at funerals...every party wants to look greater than the other. This behaviour has always ended into exchange of insults. We want this to stop. Tell your chairmen to know their boundaries,” he urged.
But his appeal was not received with the chairpersons who accused the chief of playing “Judas Iscariot”.
“No! That’s not true,” snapped constituency governor, Samson Magwaya.
The visibly angered Magwaya added, “Let us not betray one another here. It’s you the chiefs that have been causing trouble all this time and today you want to pose innocents. That’s very unfair...we’ll reveal your misdeeds.”
In his remarks, Namakhwa faulted the party leaders for failing to understand, define and implement their roles and responsibilities.
“Some of these issues are too small to settle. Politicians have no authority handling civil cases. Leave them to the chiefs,” he advised.
He further called upon the two parties to resolve their disagreements “for the good of development in the area”.
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