Traditional Authority (T/A) Katunga of Chikhwawa, who died on Friday night of diabetes, was laid to rest yesterday at his headquarters.
The burial of the mang’anja chief was attended by dignitaries such as Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Rachel Mazombwe-Zulu and People’s Party (PP) vice-president (South) Sidik Mia, who is also Chikhwawa Mkombezi Member of Parliament.
Both Mia and Mazombwe called on family members to take time in choosing a successor, saying there should be no wrangles.
Chikhwawa district commissioner Alex Mdooko praised Katunga for being development conscious as evidenced by various projects, especially on the land given to Illovo Sugar.
“When the chief dies, we normally have succession problems, but we hope we will not face such squabbles,” said Mdooko.
He was admitted to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) in Blantyre after a short stint at Chikhwawa District Hospital.
Katunga, 83, who served as chief for 16 years, is survived by six children.
