Lhomwe paramount chieftaincy stirs debate

Different opinions have emerged among Lhomwe chiefs on how the tribe’s position of paramount chief should be filled up.

Until his death in 2020, Ngolongoliwa of Thyolo District was the paramount chief, a position he assumed in 2018.

Barely six months after his death, Senior Chief Kaduya of Phalombe District was named acting paramount chief, pending confirmation.

However, recently, some Lhomwe traditional leaders have questioned her selection, saying the process did not follow procedure.

On Monday, about 60 Lhomwe traditional leaders from Chiradzulu, Phalombe, Mulanje and Thyolo, including Senior Chief Nkhulambe of Phalombe, gathered at Mwala Osema, Ngolongoliwa’s headquarters to discuss a number of issues, including Kaduya’s selection as paramount chief.

In an interview on Tuesday, group village head Juma, a relation of the late Ngolongoliwa, said Kaduya’s selection of did not follow the Lhomwe tradition.

He said: “We follow lineage according to the Lhomwe tribe when selecting the paramount chief.

“Her selection was influenced by the organisers of Mulhako wa Alhomwe.”

In a separate interview yesterday, Senior Chief Nkhulambe of Phalombe said besides not following procedures in choosing Kaduya as paramount chief, she is not a Lhomwe, but a Mang’anja.

But Kaduya said she was surprised that Juma was questioning her selection as paramount chief when at first he supported the idea.

She also dismissed claims by Nkhulambe that she is Mang’anja, saying: “Rather, it is Nkhulambe herself who is Chewa by tribe.”

Mulhako wa Alhomwe chief executive officer Pius Mvenya could not respond to our calls and messages on numerous occasions.

However, a Mzuzu University-based historian Chrispin Mphande advised the tribe to resolve the dispute without any political interference.

Ministry of Local Government spokesperson Anjoya Mwanza said the ministry is pleased with the move by the chiefs as it is a healthy debate.