Lilongwe, Malawi — In a show of high-level engagement with traditional leadership, His Excellency Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi, on Tuesday welcomed two separate delegations of chiefs from Lilongwe West to Kamuzu Palace for wide-ranging discussions centred on community development and governance.
The back-to-back meetings, held in the morning and afternoon respectively, brought together a broad representation of traditional authorities including Senior Chiefs, Traditional Authorities (T/As), Sub-Traditional Authorities, Group Village Headmen, and women leaders from various communities within Lilongwe West.
These rare but significant engagements afforded the traditional leaders an opportunity to speak directly with the Head of State regarding the development realities on the ground in their respective jurisdictions. The chiefs raised a number of pressing social and economic concerns currently facing their communities—ranging from infrastructure shortfalls and access to clean water, to youth unemployment and agricultural challenges.
In turn, President Chakwera reiterated his government’s commitment to working closely with traditional leaders to ensure that development is not only inclusive but also responsive to the unique needs of local communities. He welcomed their input, saying it would be taken into consideration as the administration continues to align national development strategies with grassroots priorities.
Also in attendance were key members of the executive, including the Minister of Local Government and Unity, Hon. Richard Chimwendo Banda, and his deputy, Hon. Joyce Chitsulo, both of whom underscored the importance of maintaining open channels of communication between government and traditional authorities to accelerate local development initiatives.
The consultations are part of President Chakwera’s ongoing efforts to deepen participatory governance and ensure that no community is left behind in the country’s march toward sustainable socio-economic transformation.
