The ministry of Local Government has raised high hopes on improved chiefs operations in the country as they await the approval of the Chiefs Act and policy.
Charles Maganga, Director of Chiefs Administration in the ministry raised the hopes in Blantyre on the sidelines of a two day meeting with south and eastern region chiefs which aims at soliciting views that will make up the guidelines.
Speaking to MIJ Online, Maganga acknowledged that the absence of the Chiefs policy and an updated Chiefs Act was a recipe of many chieftaincy wrangles that the country was experiencing, a thing he hoped will be addressed once the policy is operationalized.
“The guidelines that the chiefs will discuss in these two days will go a long in the operationlisation of the policy that will also help in addressing some of the challenges that the chiefs were experiencing like land disputes,” said Maganga.
On his part, Paramount Chief Kawinga of Machinga is optimistic that the policy guidelines will create a better working environment for them.
“The policy guidelines will help clear some of the issues that have been affecting the welfare of the chiefs in this country for instance the money that we get by the end of the month, the benefits that our families are supposed to get when we die,” said Paramount Kawinga.
The meeting has been funded by UNDP.