Government has barred Ngoni Paramount Chief Mpezeni from holding a meeting with his subjects at Dwankhonzi Secondary School.
Permanent Secretary, Chanda Kasolo says that he has received some intelligence information that the Chewas have mobilized some Nyau dancers to destabilize the meeting, while the Ngoni camp is also geared to fight back.
Mr. Chanda charged that government will not allow any lawlessness to take place, as police were not notified about the meeting as per procedure.
He has strongly warned those intending to attend the meeting that they will be arrested for breaching the Public Order Act.
Mr. Kasolo says that police and other armed forces will be present at the site of the meeting to ensure that the meeting does not take place.
He emphasized that whoever attends the meeting, whether traditional or ordinary civilian, will be arrested immediately upon arrival at the secondary school.
Mr. Kasolo added that traditional boundaries need to be respected by all chiefs to avoid any confusion.
Meanwhile, when contacted for comment, Chief Mpezeni expressed shock with the Permanent Secretary’s directive to stop tomorrow’s meeting from taking place.
Chief Mpezeni explained that an entourage from the Provincial Administration, together with some police officers, visited him at his palace yesterday to inquire about the same meeting.
He however, wondered why the decision to stop the meeting was not made known to him during the visit.
The Paramount Chief says that he could not comment further on the matter as he was hearing about the development for the first time.
He maintained that he and his subjects will still attend the meeting as he has not yet received any official communication from government.