Chekucheku Family applaud Government for Transferring DC Kaleso

By Robert Kumwenda and Orchestra Kamanga

The family of former T/A Chekucheku has thanked Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development Stuart Ligomeka for Transferring District Commissioner (DC) Memory Kaleso from Neno to Chiradzulu.

The transferring of Neno DC comes at a time when several corruption cases and misuse of public funds have been reported at Neno district council.

It is alleged that the former DC connived with people from the former ruling People’s Party (PP) to remove the former chief Chekucheku so that (PP) should come into government because the former T/A was loyal to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) because the former President late Professor Bingu wa Mutharika built a new hospital and rural growth Centre in his area.

Nine Group Village Headmen and sixty seven Village Headmen are happy with the removal of Memory Kaleso in Neno district.

The Chekucheku family is also asking government to remove the Director of Chiefs in Neno Alick Milanzi because he interferes in chiefs’ affairs and he does this with G.B Sitolo from the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC).

One of the people from Chekucheku family Alfred Donda who is also Group Village headman Chekucheku said all allegations leveled against former T/A Chekucheku (Francis Magombo) were untrue because he won all cases that were leveled against him at the court due to lack of evidence.

“The former T/A Chekucheku (Francis Magombo) on September 22 2015 wrote a letter to meet the President through the Chief Secretary to the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC) George Mkondiwa to tell the President the truth but he was blocked,” said Group Village Headman Donda.

He said the area of former T/A Chekucheku is where DPP candidate won as councilor among all chiefs, the rest were either from other parties or independents.

However Francis Magombo the ex- T/A Chekucheku is wondering why he was removed from his position as chief because he mobilized his group village headmen to support Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika as the former President Joyce Banda did not wish her the best.

“Instead of being thanked for the good job what I did the reward which I got was to be fired as chief for false allegations,” lamented former T/A Chekucheku.

In a related development some people have opened two separate new grave yards at Donda village and the issue was sent to the District Council and the Police to be resolved but it yielded nothing as such matters are handled by T/A’s.

Two families were building two cemeteries at Ngozi village and they ended up fighting such that one person was hit with a knife and the matter was taken to the Police but no action was taken.

They even went further to the hospital where the wounded person who had three stitches on his body but no action was taken.

To resolve the issue surrounding Chekucheku chieftancy wrangle is to invite the Press, DC’s or send the matter to the responsible minister because some people are being supported by NGO’s and some people from the District Council yet they are not from the loyal family of Chekucheku.

They just go to the district council for corruption. Francis Magombo (former T/A) Chekucheku who has worked with Francis Mphepo Secretary General (SG) for the ruling DPP is asking the minister to be careful with the people whom is working with because they are not loyal to the President and even those that are at State House.

That is why people from the opposition talk much about government because they get information from those people.

According to 2008 Population and housing census conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) the population of Neno district was 150,000 but the people who registered in 2014 tripartite elections were 61,190 this only showed that people are not happy with what has been happening at Neno District Council.

Looking at all this, all Chiefs in the area of former T/A Chekucheku want the former T/A to be reinstated from his position as T/A because he was removed for no reason besides that he is the founder of chekucheku family.

The chiefs are therefore urging the new DC Ali Phiri to be careful with the people at Neno District Council.