Deputy Minister of Local Government Joyce Chitsulo has urged chiefs to become champions of education and development in the country.
Speaking during the installation of Dailesi Alani to Senior Chief Liwonde and Kapinda Dailesi to Traditional Authority Sitola in Machinga she emphasized their role in promoting development and ending child marriages.
She further announced the government's increased support for chiefs, including a two-fold increase in their honorarium with over 20,000 chiefs who were not receiving honorarium to start receiving it from April this year.
Meanwhile, Paramount Chief Kawinga of the Yao tribe, has called for the need for collective action to address child marriages across the country.
Kawinga also called on the government to quickly resolve chieftaincy wrangles, noting that there are many pending cases in courts spanning to over five years to be resolved, affecting development in the process.
He suggests that government should set aside legal experts to handle these cases and ensure timely resolutions.