Outspoken Bishop Martin Mtumbuka of the Karonga Diocese has asked President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera to discipline traditional leaders who are acting as semi-gods in their respective communities by among others causing on pain subjects.

The influential Roman Catholic Bishop Mtumbuka was speaking recently in Karonga; barely weeks after chiefs ordered the beating of police officers who came to rescue a man who was being accused practicing witchcraft at Mwakamawo Village in the area of Traditional Authority Mwakaboko in the district.

According to some media reports, the chief invited a herbalist (With-doctor) to come into Mwakamawo village for witch-hunting an cleanse the community, which is against the laws of the country.

“I want to be clear here, we in the Diocese of Karonga can longer take this rubbish. What happened here by inviting one herbalist and start persecuting one of villagers and when the law enforcement agent and almost killing the in charge of Kiwi police station, this is unacceptable.

The President (Lazarus Chakwera) must discipline the chiefs. The President was in Bolero, Rumphi ‘sono sono’ (just recently) talking about evil cultural practices. But the President must go beyond condemning bad practices,” said Bishop Mtumbuka

He also condemned the chiefs conduct of telling people whenever there is funeral in the area to not worship in their churches but that subjects must all ‘worship’ at the place of the funeral which is against the constitution.

“No chief has powers in the constitution to stop people from worshiping. This is a sign of lawlessness. Mr President it is not enough talking tough but do something about your chiefs,” said Mtumbuka.

Mtumbuka challenged President Chakwera that over his dead body, he will not keep quite swing unruly chiefs abusing the poor, widows and the defenseless because that is why he was called and vowed before God to defend.

“Enough is enough. I can’t take this anyone. We have been quite for so long about chief’s indiscipline but that time is gone. I will stop talking about this when am dead but for now, as the servant of God, I will talk and talk until the President disciplines his chiefs,” roars Mtumbuka.

Malawi inherited a 1911 Witchcraft Act from the British, which assumes that it does not exist, and makes it an offence to accuse someone of practicing witchcraft, or for an individual to claim that they practice it.

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