Thyolo Court Finds Village Head James Kambela Guilty of Misusing Office

The Thyolo District Court has handed down a guilty verdict against James Kambela, 42, also known as Chief Naphiyo II, for misusing his office in violation of Section 25B(1) of the Local Governance Act.

According to the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Chief Naphiyo II allegedly received K40,000 from local villagers in 2022 under the pretense of helping them purchase subsidized materials. However, he demanded an additional K10,000 on top of the K30,000 already agreed upon. When some villagers complained, he reportedly reduced the extra charge to K5,000, but the matter was reported to authorities.

During the trial, five witnesses and two pieces of evidence were presented, which corroborated the allegations of financial misconduct.

In a ruling delivered by Magistrate Samai Uthman Muhammad, the court ordered that the K200,000 collected by the chief be recovered by the government and later returned to the rightful owners. The court scheduled 19 November 2025 as the date for delivering the full judgment.