HOW CHIEFS COME TO POWER IN MALAWI, THYOLO

MMENE MFUMU ZIMATENGERA ULAMULIRO KUMALAWI, THYOLO

In different areas of Thyolo district there are chiefs who are always under the watch of the Traditional authority.
The Traditional authority is entitled to crown other people kingship so as to rule on his behalf in some parts of his main area as he cannot manage to rule the whole area on his own.
Crowned kings are supposed to report their duties to the Traditional Authority (T/A).
A person does not become a chief by means of polls (casting votes) but rather by following traditional strategies that were set by people of that tribe. Each and every chief do have a counterpart who work hand in hand with him in ruling his area and this person is known as “The chiefs’ Right-hand rod”

Mmadera osiyanasiyana m’malawi, mumakhala mfumu zing’onozing’ono  zimene zimakhala pamnsi pa Mfumu yayikulu amene amatchedwa kuti mwini dera. Iyi ndi mfumu imene imagawa ufumu komanso kudzoza mfumu zina.
Munthu samakhala mfumu pogwiritsa ntchito njira ya chi zisankho  koma kudzera mu ndondomeko ya chikhalidwe cha dera limene mfumuyo ikulamulira.Mfumu ina iliyonse yamdera imakhala ndi oyitsatira wake amene amathandizira mfumu pogwira ntchito yake ndipo munthuyi amatchedwa “ndodo ya amfumu yakumanja”.

Rumours has it that Kingship is connected to witchcraft. This is so because it is a must that a person who has been chosen to be a king must know different types of traditional herbs. This is classified just as a rumour because it is not at all times that people talk good things about the one ruling them but rather create different propagandas.
So, people say that kingship has different beliefs that are connected to ancestral spirits.
Allegations that a chief is also the main witch or wizard also comes in taking into consideration that at the time when a person is being crowned a king where he is commanded to touch the rod of the Traditional Authority which symbolises that all powers from ancestral spirits have been given to him.

Mphekesera zimamveka kuti ufumu ndi ufiti pa zifukwa zoti munthu amene wasankhidwa kukhala mfumu amayenera kumadziwa mankhwala adzitsamba osiyanasiyana. Iyi ndi Mphekesera yosasimikizika poti si nthawi zonse zimene anthu amakondwera ndi munthu amene akuwalamulira choncho onena amati ufumu umakhala ndi zikhulupiliro zingapo za makolo athu akale.

Chikaiko choti mfumu imakhala mfiti yayikulu chimachokera potengera kuti panthawi yomwe munthu akuzozedwa ufumu amayenera kuti agwire ndodo ya mfumu yayikulu yadera yomwe akayigwira zimakhala kuti mphamvu zina zochokera kwa makolo akale zapasidwa kwa iye.

Let’s dig deeper into this.

Tiyeni tilowe mkati mkati mwandondomeko yi.

Before a current king who is ruling dies, people from the ruling family choose an heir to the throne.  But most of the times an heir becomes the first-born son of the king or either the first-born son of the king’s brother or sister.
This heir is taught by the king himself on some of the duties a king is mandated to do. Not only that, but he is also taught on the use of different traditional herbs.
There are also some of the traditional strategies that are followed before the heir is crowned a king. If these strategies are not followed it becomes difficult for the heir to be crowned a king despite him being the right and real heir to the throne.
When it is the right time for the heir to be crowned a king and that he is ready for that, the heir together with some elders make a visit to the traditional authority. The main reason of this visit is to be told on some further procedures to follow before the heir is crowned a king.

Mfumu imene ikulamulira isanamwalire anthu apamtundu amasankha oyisatira mfumuyo koma nthawi zambiri mwana wamwamuna wachisamba wamfumuyo ndiye amakhala mlowammalo wamfumuyo.
Munthu ameneyu amadziwisidwa zina mwa ntchito zomwe ayenera kumazapanga komanso ena mwa mankhwala azisamba.
Choncho pamakhala ndondomeko zimene zimasatidwa ngati izi sizisatidwa ndiye kuti pamakhala kovuta kuti munthu yo avekedwe ufumu ngakhale ufumuwo uli wake.
Pamene munthu ali okonzeka kuzozedwa ufumu , amayenera kuti apite akawonane ndi mfumu yayikulu ndicholinga choti akawudzidwe zina zomwe ayenera kuchita asanazozozedwe ufumu wu.

On their way to the traditional authority, they take two goats with them to be offered to the traditional authority.
The traditional authority sets an official date for the kingship crowning event.
He also orders that some goods must be brought before him before the day.
After the visit, the elders discuss on how the event will go alike. They also discuss on where to source staffs ordered by the traditional authority.
Before the event day, the heir must also meet the traditional authority but this time the two confidentially discuss.
Rumours has it that they discuss on some beliefs and conduct that the heir must follow in order for things to be going on smoothly in his ruling.
The traditional authority asks the heir if he is ready and courageous to be crowned a king.

Munthu yu akamapita kwa mfumu yayikuluyi amayenera apite ndi akulu akulu apamtundu wake pambalipa atanyamula mbuzi ziwiri.
Mwini dera yu amawakonza tsiku lomwe iye ali okonzeka kupita kumudzi kwa anthu aja ndikukalonga ufumu.
Anthu aja akabwerera kumudzi kwawo amakambirana za mmene mwambo olonga ufumu wo uzayendere komanso zinthu zomwe mfumu yayikuli yalamula kuti zipite.
Tsikulo litsanafike munthu osankhidwayo amayenera akumane ndi mfumu yayikulu mwapaderadera.
Zimamveka kuti iwo amakambirana zina mwa zikhulupiliro zomwe angamachite kuti zinthu ziziyenda bwino.
Ndi mosavuta. Mfumu yayikulu yo imafunsa munthuyo ngati walimbadi mtima kuti akwanisa kutsatira ndondomeko yonse.

Rumours also go a long way that the night before the event, the heir is told to go and visit the grave of the old king who was ruling the area that he is yet to rule and that he is supposed to catch anything that he will see there.
If he does it means that he has now been given full powers to rule the area and if he does not and he run away, the traditional authority knows and he doesn’t come the next day to crown him a king but rather send a message to the village elders to choose another person who is courageous enough.

Zimamvekanso kuti utsiku otsatira kwa tsiku lomwe Mfumu yayikulu ija iyenera kubwera nkuzalonga ufumu, munthuyo amawudzidwa kuti apite kumanda ndipo akakhale pa mtumbira wa mfumu yakale yomwe imalamulira dera lomwe iye akufuna kuyamba kulamulira. Ndipo amayenera agwire chinthu chilichonse chomwe achiwone.
Akagwira amakhala kuti watenga ufumu koma ngati sanakwanise ndipo wathawa ndiye kuti mfumu yayikulu ija simabwera kuzalonga ufumu wo. Mfumu yayikuluyi imatumidza uthenga kwa akuluakulu apamtundu wo kuti asankhenso munthu wina amene ayenera kukhala olimba mtima ndi wokonzeka.

The crowning event is marked by joyous faces, different traditional dances such as Ingoma, Beni, Mganda and Chimtali among others. Traditional food is also cooked enough to serve everyone in attendance. Talking about beer which is locally produced proudly known as Kachasu and Traditional sweet beer (Thobwa) it replaces drinking water that day (drinking excessively).

Anthu a nkhope za msangala, magule osiyanasiyana monga Ingoma, beni, Mganda komanso Chimtali amapezeka kumwambo olonga ufumuwu. Chakudya chosiyanasiyana chamakolo chimaphikidwanso. Kukamba za kachasu komanso Thobwa izi ndizakumwa zomwe zimamwedwa ngati madzi patsikuli.

Chiefs under the Lhomwe tribe are crowned by the chief custodian of The Lhomwes who is known as the ‘Mwene wa mwene’ by title. Similarly, chiefs under the Ngoni tribe are crowned by the leader of the Ngoni in that area who is known as ‘Inkosi Ya Makosi’ by title (most of the times this one is the traditional authority). All the titles mean ‘king of kings’.

Mafumu achilhomwe amazozedwa ndi mwene wa mwene ndipo achingoni amazozedwa ndi inkosi ya makosi imene imakhalanso mwini dera.

Traditional Authorities, Sub-Traditional Authorities and senior chiefs are crowned by the President after being certified by the Ministry of Local Government.

Eni dera komanso nyakwawa zimazozedwa ndi Mtsogoleri wadziko akavomerezedwa ndi aku unduna wa maboma aang’ono.

SOME DUTIES OF LOCAL CHIEFS

ZINA MWA NTCHITO ZA MFUMU

• Represent their people in different community development meetings.
• Set and institute Laws that people are entitled to follow in their area.
• Preside as a judges over minor criminal cases and disputes such as land or marriage disputes.

• Kuimirira anthu awo mmisonkhano yosiyanasiyana.
• Kuika malamulo amene anthu adera lawo amayenera azisatira.
• Kuwerudza milandu ing’ono ing’ono yokhuzana ndikuba komanso kusamvana pankhani zamalo komanso za m’banja.

For example, if one steals a chicken he is punished by the chief. The chief has also all powers to chase that person out of his village in serious cases.
If the case becomes critical in nature, it is referred to the police.

Mwachisanzo ngati munthu waba nkhuku, mfumu imapasa chilango munthuyo. Ndipo mulandu ukafika povuta mfumuyo imatha kumuthamangisa munthuyo mmudzi mwake.
Milandu ikulu ikulu imasiyidwa mmanja mwa apolisi.

• Demarcate and distribute communal land for farming and settlement of their people.
• Identify beneficiaries of different government subsidy programs such as cheap and affordable fertiliser program and other reliefs from the government and other organisations.

• Kugawira malo olima komanso okhala anthu ake.
• Kusankha mdandanda wa anthu oyenera kupindula ndi chithandizo chosiyanasiyana chaboma komanso chamabungwe osiyanasiyana.

It is not strange to witness that many people had to fight and quarrel over kingship in the past years. Although chiefs receive a little monthly pay that lies within the edges of the minimum wages which is currently Fifty thousand Malawi Kwacha as revised in the 2020/2021 Malawi national budget.
Despite this little pay, who don’t want to be a king? Nobody, the benefits are many!

Nzosadabwisa kuti anthu akhala akumenyanirana ufumu mzaka zapitazi. Ngakhale mfumu zimalandira malipiro ochepa omwe ndipafupifupi K50,000.00 kutengera ndimalipiro atsopano omwe adasinthidwa pokonza chikonzero cha chuma cha mchaka cha 2020/2021.
Ngakhale izi zili chomwechi, ndi ndani zafuna kukhala mfumu? Palibe, Muli phindu mu ufumu!