Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe, real name Joseph Bongololo Gondwe, continues to come under spotlight for the way he is handling administrative issues amongst his subjects.
Already accused of using political influence to wrestle the chieftaincy from Mtima Gondwe, son of his predecessor, the Paramount has ruffled a hornet’s nest by promoting an undeserving Group Village Head (GVH) to the status of Sub-Traditional Authority (STA).
The source of the wrangle is the promotion of GVH Mwang’onga to STA, something eight of the nine Village Development Committees (VDCs) in Ng’onga zone, part of the Henga Valley, strongly resist as illegal.
The development has seen the contested STA being treated as equals with his former boss, Traditional Authority Chisovya, with the only difference being that Mwang’onga is favoured by the Paramount Chief and assigned tasks deserving TA Chisovya.
Mwang’onga also commands only one VDC while the sidelined Chisovya has eight VDCs siding with him.
TA Chisovya and the eight VDCs have condemned the decision by Paramount Chikulamayembe as an act of punishing Chisovya for being resoundingly vocal in opposing the installation of Bongololo Gondwe as Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe.
“We, the undersigned representatives and patrons of eight (8) Village Development Committees out of the nine (9) VDCs constituting Ng’onga Zone, respectfully write to reaffirm and formally maintain our collective opposition to the appointment of GVH Mwang’onga as Sub-Traditional Authority for Ng’onga Zone.
“This correspondence is intended to ensure that your office, as the administrative head of local government in the district, is fully appraised of the facts, the law, the customary position, and the settled will of the community, particularly following the transfer of the former District Commissioner [Emmanuel Bulukutu],” reads a petition the group delivered to Rumphi District Council on Wednesday for forwarding to President Arthur Peter Mutharika.
The group, led by GVH Kanjululu, said they engaged the Paramount Chief in his capacity as the customary arbiter on such matters, but their efforts encountered a cold shoulder from the chief cultural custodian of the Tumbuka people in Malawi and Zambia.
The group eventually engaged then Rumphi District Commissioner, Emmanuel Bulukutu, but also received a response they say “relied on a selective and legally flawed interpretation of the Chiefs Act” on 26th June 2025.
Citing the Chiefs Act, the group contend that Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe has no authority over the appointment of a STA as such powers rest solely with the President.
“Section 5, Part II Cap. 22:03 [of the Chiefs Act] provides that at the request of a Chief, the President may, by writing under his hand, appoint any person to the office of Sub-Chief.
“Hence, the appointing authority remains exclusively vested in the President [and not any other person]. Traditional leaders may only initiate requests, subject to lawful processes, consultation, and compliance with the Act. Statutory provisions cannot be read selectively or in isolation to justify administrative convenience.”
Both Mwang’onga and Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe have been adamant on the appointment, insisting that all procedures had been dully followed.
“My appointment and elevation were done procedurally and I am wondering why some people have decided to go against it. However, those that are opposing my elevation have the right to do so,” Mwang’onga told Zodiak Broadcasting Station in an interview on Wednesday.
The opposing group says Chikulamayembe has stunned them through direct communication with the royal establishment of TA Chisovya and comments in the media in which he states that “what he has appointed no one can rescind”.
The eight VDCs opposing Mwang’onga’s appointment to STA are Principal GVHs Chibaya, Kanjululu, Kobyo, Baghaya, Mhangula and Chandiwira Chisovya, and GVHs Mnyongani and Kamatang’ombe.
Bongololo Gondwe wrestled the chieftaincy from Mtima Gondwe through court battles, arguing that the Chikulamayembe chieftaincy is rotational and that Mtima’s lineage—along which the chieftaincy had run since its reinstatement in 1907—should not be monopolising it.
The decision created stiff opposition from some chiefs in the district who have argued that the mere fact that Bongololo’s ancestors never raised any issues over the period indicates that Mtima’s lineage was the right custodian of the chiftaincy.
As a result of the hostilities the determination created people attending the annual Gonapamuhanya cultural festival are stoned by suspected pro-Mtima camp after the event.
