“There are NO ghost chiefs on Government subsidy payroll”

By Ruth Chayinda

The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development says there are NO ghost chiefs on Government subsidy payroll for traditional leaders.

Local Government Permanent Secretary NICHOLAS PHIRI has dismissed, as mischievous and in bad taste, assertions by the Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolutions of Disputes – SACCORD- that the Government payroll has ghost chiefs.

Mr PHIRI further says there was NO audit query in the Auditor General’s report for the financial year, ended 31st December, 2022, relating to the payroll of chiefs .

He says all chiefs currently receiving subsidies are duly recognized traditional leaders.

Mr PHIRI says the current number of recognized Chiefs in the country stands at 286 and this record is only amended in cases of death or dethronement after which legitimate succession processes take place.

At a press briefing today , Mr PHIRI however said there is need to review the 1958 chiefdom boundary map as they are some defunct chiefdoms which appears on the map but are not part of the current 286 recognized chiefdoms.

Mr PHIRI further noted that Government does not plan to revive any defunct chiefdoms .

And Mr PHIRI has also clarified that the North Western Province has 33 recognized chiefdoms and any list deviating from this official count is inaccurate.

He said efforts to engage SACCORD on the matter have proved futile as they have not responded .

SACCORD Acting Executive Director ARTHUR MUYUNDA was recently quoted in the media as having called for a review of the current payroll for chiefs in order to remove individuals who are not legally recognized as chiefs.