Thyolo residents protest T/A Thomas elevation

Concerned citizens in Thyolo have protested the elevation of Traditional Authority (T/A) Thomas to senior chief.

The protest comes against a background of President Joyce Banda’s official elevation of T/As Chimaliro and Thomas today at Thyolo Community Centre Ground.

Harry Mikuwa, chairperson of Thyolo concerned citizens’ voice, said the group feels the President should not elevate T/A Thomas allegedly because she has failed to prove leadership.

Said Mikuwa: “It is not prudent to elevate her. How can you elevate a leader who has failed to bring sanity in her area of jurisdiction? As I am talking to you, 17 families are displaced from her area because of fighting between village leaders over chieftaincy wrangles.”

At least 94 Ngomano villagers are camped in an uncompleted building at Bvumbwe Trading Centre seven months after people from the neighbouring village of Wilson torched and destroyed their houses and crops.

“What are the attributes that swayed the President to elevate her? She does not deserve such a crown,” stated Mikuwa.

The displaced villagers were recently entangled in another wrangle with Wilson villagers following the death of a 75-year-old woman at their camp.

The Ngomano villagers went ahead to bury their relation in the disputed land despite intervention from Thyolo District Council to refrain from provoking the situation further.