Maravi

Chief Msoro causes laughter in Chipata court

Chief Msoro causes laughter in Chipata court
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Wed 21 Oct. 2009, 15:56 CAT

CHIEF Msoro of the Kunda people last Monday caused laughter in the Chipata magistrates’ court when he said a chief marrying many women did not amount to indiscipline but mere enjoyment of one’s subjects.

Chief Msoro was testifying in the case where Friday Mwale has been charged for impersonating chief Tindi, an abolished chiefdom.

Asked by defence lawyer Stembridge Chirambo whether he was aware that the then senior chief Nsefu of the Kunda people in 1948 recommended to the colonial government to suspend chief Tindi because he was just marrying women and excessively drinking beer, chief Msoro said he was not aware.

When Chipata principal resident magistrate Collins Lundah asked him whether marrying many women and drinking a lot of beer amounts to indiscipline and whether a chief could be removed on those lines, chief Msoro said; “Marrying women and beer drinking doesn’t amount to indiscipline because that particular chief is just enjoying his subjects”.
Chief Msoro said Mwale was disturbing him in executing his duties by allocating plots to people in his game reserve.

He said the court should evict the people that were wrongly given land by Mwale in the game reserve.

Chief Msoro told the court that he had lodged several complaints to the government in the last four years over Mwaleís activities.

“Mwale has been disturbing me from discharging my duties as traditional leader because he had been allocating land to people in my hunting block thereby doing more damage to wildlife. I remember the provincial permanent secretary led a group of provincial joint commission members to Mwale’s area where they had an audience with Mwale advising him to stop what he was doing because it was against the law and again in 2004, I with senior chief Nsefu, district commissioner Maxwell Mwale, now mines minister, and other chiefs from Mambwe went to address a meeting at Tindi village to ask Mwale to stop masquerading as chief but he continued,” chief Msoro testified.

He said Mwale was not chief Tindi but that he was a subject of chief Mnkhanya.
Chief Msoro said the Tindi chiefdom was abolished in 1948 by the then district commissioner, Baidon.

And chief Jumbe said Mwaleís activities were retarding development in Chikowa area which was part of his chiefdom.

He said some people were paying homage to Mwale instead of him.
Chief Jumbe said Mwale had been masquerading as chief Tindi despite being told to stop doing so by the Ministry of Local Government on several occasions.
He said the Tindi chiefdom was abolished because the then chief Tindi was not working well with the government.

Chief Jumbe said the then Chief Tindi was eluding tax and was inciting his subjects to do the same.

When asked by Chirambo whether he was aware that the colonial government only suspended the chief and not abolishing the entire chiefdom, chief Jumbe said according to documentation in his possession, the whole chiefdom was abolished and that a caretaker would be chosen if it was just the chief that was suspended.

Chief Jumbe said he had never heard of any chiefdom being suspended but that an individual chief could be suspended. The trial which started on Monday continued yesterday.

Labels: CHIEFS, CHIPATA, COURTS

posted by MrK @ 4:08 PM