Rival villagers fight in Dowa, grab land and livestock: Others fleeing to Mzimba
Malawi Police in Dowa are investigating clashes between two tribes which has led to 12 members of a Chewa tribe fleeing to Mzimba after ngoni villagers descended the village, grabbing land and livestock.
At least nine ngoni villagers descended on Chokoma village, the only Chewa village in chief Chiwere’s area in the district, grabbing land and livestock and destroying property.
Police spokesperson in Dowa Richard Kaponda confirmed the incident, saying the police were waiting for the villagers to lodge a complaint before arrests were made although investigations on the matter had started.
“We are aware of the issue but no chief has reported the matter to us. We will take action once the issue has been reported to us,” he said.
Dowa has a unique set up as most of the traditional leaders are Ngoni although they are in central region and this has caused friction between the Chewas and the Ngonis.
Some of the Ngoni traditional leaders said they invaded the Chewa village to force village headman Chakoma make peace with them.
“He is a very difficult village headman, we just want him to agree to our peace terms,” said one of the village headmen.
Village headman Chakoma and chief Chiwere were not immediately available for comment whilst officials from the district commissioner could not be reached as they were reportedly on Christmas and New Year holidays.
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Someone says I will develop Malawi to the levels of Europe usawi chichi.
From historical point of view, the ngonis who are found in Dowa should be grateful to the Chewas. A book titled Mbiri ya Achewa which was published in 1961 by Nkhoma Press and Authored by J.S. Mtala, put the Chewas as the people to have settled in Central Region first before the Ngonis. The existence of Ngonis in Dowa was because the People used to travel long distances to pay tax in Dowa which by then the only District in Central Region where Government offices were. Some of these people did not go back to their places and decided to… Read more »
We are one please, love one another. Enanu mukunena za nyumba za udzu koma chonsecho inu amene kumudzi kwanu simunamange nyumba ya malata, mukuona ngati nyumba zabwino zimangomela zokha? Makolo anu ali kumeneku koma osawamangila kanyumba ka malata. Chonsecho mukumanga nyumba zabwino mtaunimu osamangako kenakake kumudzi and you expect kumudzi kuti kukhale kowoneka bwino
We need a border wall at Jenda! These people multiply like ngumbi in order to win elections yet they have no land. Look at what they call houses? They think by voting for their tribesmen, their areas would develop. These are the same mentalities we see in Mulanje, Thyolo and Chiradzulo. Senseless reproduction!
Now they have even destroyed all their trees and want to run to Mzimba to occupy our ever green land.
No, no, no! We need a border wall! Make Mzimba Great!
This is the real ntumbuka logic that we must end.
I know how you feel Mama Joyce Banda when you see these types of shacks in our villages. You started a good programme of assisting destitute people with houses before establishing the Mudzi Transformation Trust. Unfortunately, out of jealousy, Peter Mutharika discontinued it and started his own so-called Malata subsidy programme which benefits cadets only and is deeply mired in corruption. Sad.
Perhaps the Ngonis shouldn’t behave as if they were these 1935 when they fled from King Shaka. This is barbaric and they shld stop it with immediate effect, unconditionally! They should thank God they are doing these to the humble Chewas. If they did this nonsense to a Yao village it could have been chaos now
After 54 years of independence a village in Malawi is still like this and someone can stand at a podium and say, he has transformed Malawi. The village is still the same as it was during the colonial era and there are many such villages in the country.
Where are you based yourself? KUmudzi kwanu kulibe nyumba ngati zimenezi. Have you built a decent house kumudzi kwanu iweyo?
Malawi is number 3 from the poorest country. It goes into Zambia five times in size but has a population of over 18million while zambia is at 11million. Overpopulation leading to inadquate land hence these kind of wrangles. One day someone should be bold enough to make things right. I cry for my poor country. It is all that I have.
Kwibha mutundu uwu! Pepani mose Achewa aku Dhowa. Mbwenu mwachimbira mupoto mwanjira pamoto wakuMuzimba!
It’s wrong for the police to wait for lodging of a complaint.
The police’s duty is to protect persons and property.
It’s only the courts that wait for a complaint to be filed and hear a case in court.