The Second Vice President of Malawi Congress Party, Hon Harry Mkandawire and Nkhatabay South MP Dr Kenneth Zikhale Ng’oma, today t led a team of Nkhatabay Chiefs to pay their courtesy call to His Excellency The State President of the Republic of Malawi, Dr Lazarus Chakwera at the New State House in Lilongwe on Tuesday
The Chiefs led by their District Commissioner and Chief Fukamapiri, in their speech, thanked God for giving them accommodative leader, whom many Malawians have been crying for, Chief Fukamapiri said ” Indeed our dream has come true and we are hopeful that development will finally reach Nkhatabay now. We want Kande/ Mzimba road opened for business, Orton Chirwa’s son be recognised and decorated on behalf of his father. We need a Technical College in Nkhatabay, M5 lakeshore road re-done and should pass through Usiska mountains and not Mzuzu. We want our sons ; Hon Harry Mkandawire and Hon Zikhale empowered, for they are doing a good job at home, in collaboration with our working DC, Mr Simwaka”.
The Chiefs applauded the State President Dr Lazarus Chakwera for responding and supporting funerals in Nkhatabay, like that of Former MP of Nkhatabay South, late Hon Sam Kandodo Banda, that of late TA Malengamzoma , which the president attended in person prior to ascending to Presidency. Dr Lazarus Chakwera also assisted during the bereavement of late Senior Chief Mbwana of Usiska,
In addition to above, the State President has shown keen interest in supporting major plans of removing the well known death trap Kapesya bridge and to replace it with a dual lane bridge.The chiefs also thanked him for approving piped water to reach Kande in Nkhatabay.
The Senior chief Fukamapiri on behalf of all TA’s in Nkhatabay, classified the President as the most exceptional leader since 1958. Fukamapiri also said that Nkhatabay has been the source of Malawi politics, from which District, Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda was chosen to lead Nyasaland African Congress after beating TDT Banda who got only 1 vote against Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda. Fukamapiri claimed, that the elections were democratically held in Nkhatabay in a Hall which up to now has not been demolished for historical reasons.
Senior senior Chief Mkumbira, in the same meeting, asked the President to consider giving them 4 bags of fertilizer every year to avoid chiefs being caught in scandals, to respect the rule of law which is one major rule in the HI 5, the major reason to back up their claim is that, they welcome many visitors in their homes and fail to provide them with food , since their honoraria is small.
The chiefs wanted installations of Chief Malengamzoma and others, done as soon as possible and they went further to ask the State President to consider giving them a Paramount Chief in Nkhatabay .
The Chiefs were wondering why the past governments, when it comes to politics, they all flock to Nkhatabay and use sons of Nkhatabay to achieve their goals but when they succeed in their agenda, they hardly consider developing the district.
The Chiefs, cited 3rd March as an example of how important Nkhatabay has been to Malawi politics, as many people from Nkhatabay lost their lives on this day in struggle for Malawi’s freedom , yet it is one of the least developed district in Malawi so far.
The advent of Dr Lazarus Chakwera, has brought hope and encouragement to the Tonga’s because in his manifesto he enshrined plans of developing all districts equally, hence plans to build Orton Chirwa International Airport in Mzuzu and a University at Bandawe in commemoration of Dr. David Livingstone and Robert Laws, who brought first education in the land through Bandawe in Nkhatabay excited them all.
These explorers moved up hill to Livingstonia and down South to Dowa and Blantyre, running away from mosquitoes along the lake, that left many of them dead because of Malaria (i.e , Cape Mac Clear and Nkhatabay District.)
Chiefs expressed their gratitude for being welcomed at the New State House for the first time since the palace was built.
Notable faces in that meeting were Minister of Local Government Hon. Berekanyama MP and Deputy Minister, Hon Halima Daud MP, PS for Local Government, Mr Charles Kalima and his Director.
Chiefs have since left for Nkhatabay after delivering their concerns and looked very happy indeed to have met the President, on one to one basis
