Mzimba subjects to pay for M'mbelwa's debts

by Edwin Nyirongo, The Nation
Chiefs from Mzimba have asked village headmen, group village headmen and sub-chiefs under their authority to contribute money to pay for the debts Inkosi ya Makosi M'mbelwa IV owes banks.

Inkosi ya Makosi M'mbelwa IV owes Finance Bank about K2.2 million which he claimed he borrowed after winning a tender to supply school materials to the ministry of education which the ministry refused to buy after customs clearing.

Sheriffs accompanied by heavily armed police seized household property from the chief's Edingeni Headquarters after he failed to pay the debt.

Lawyer for the beleaguered chief, Chifundo Ngwira, applied for a stay of execution on December 9, 2004 pending a further application within two weeks to allow the chief to settle the debt by instalment of K100,000 per month. But the High Court ordered sheriffs to seize more goods from the chief after lawyers for Finance Bank, applied on January 13, 2005 for a certificate of noncompliance.

A source that was at the chiefs' meeting said the chiefs gave an order to pay for the top chief's debts because they were an embarrassment to the respected tribe.

"They felt that the stories about the debts and grabbing of Inkosi ya Makosi's  property were not only a disgrace to the chief but the entire Ngoni tribe and Mzimba as a whole hence their resolution to settle the debt," he said.

Inkosi M'mbelwa could not be reached on the phone but another influential Ngoni chief, lnkosi Mpherembe confirmed the meeting and the resolution. He said he sees nothing wrong with that because this is not the first time the subordinates have come forward to help their chief.

 "During the reign of M'mbelwa II, people contributed money when he went to oppose the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. The people of Mzimba also bought a vehicle for their chief, in addition to another one, which was to be used by other chiefs," he said.

Inkosi Mpherembe said each village has been asked to contribute K200 towards the cause. "We resolved that each village should pay K200 to the chief so that we could help him with some of the problems he might have," he said.

Asked how much they expect to collect, the Ngoni chief said he could not say because he does not have the exact number of people in the district but said it would be a handsome amount.
END