Ntchisi CBEs drilled on cases to handle

Ntchisi district commissioner (DC) Malango Botomani has advised primary justice community-based educators (CBEs) to handle minor offences such as petty theft and land disputes and not serious cases.

Botomani said this on Thursday during the opening of a two-day training for 100 CBEs from five traditional authorities (T/As) of Chilooko, Vusojere, Nthondo, Kasakula and Malenga.

She told the CBEs to refrain from handling serious offences such as murder, rape and defilement, saying such cases should be left to competent courts.

Said Botomani: “The training will assist CBEs to understand issues of primary justice in their areas and they will be able to separate cases to handle at village level from those to be handled by courts, hence, reducing cases tried in courts.”

Primary justice coordinator for Ntchisi, Wilson Kambewa, said the training was aimed at equipping participants with knowledge on how to handle cases in their respective communities.

He said: “The participants have been equipped with knowledge of human rights with the aim of training communities on issues of primary justice.

Kambewa said the participants are also expected to be conversant with the Constitution on issues of human rights, gender, land law, child protection and community mobilisation.

One of the participants, Leah Chipembere, from Chizewe Village, said the training was an eye opener because she now knows what cases to handle and those to be referred to formal courts.

The training was organised with funding from Britain’s Department for International Development (DfID) through Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP).