Malawi: Minister Ben Phiri Leads Mourners At Emotional Funeral of Dethroned Former Paramount Chief

What the report says

Mourners gathered in Bolero, Malawi, on Thursday for the funeral of Mtima Walter Gondwe, the former acting Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe, in a ceremony marked by tributes from government officials, chiefs and local residents. The service was led by Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ben Phiri, who represented President Arthur Peter Mutharika and praised Gondwe’s focus on community development and public service.

According to the report, Gondwe’s death prompted reflection on a life that included more than 14 years in Malawi’s civil service in Mzimba District before he entered traditional leadership. He was crowned Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe in 2019, but was later removed from the position by court order in 2021 and replaced by Joseph Bongololo Gondwe. The article describes that sequence as a dramatic fall from grace after a brief tenure in the chieftaincy.

Family representatives said Gondwe quietly supported orphans and vulnerable families in the area, and speakers at the funeral stressed the personal impact he had on the community. The report says he died at Mzuzu Central Hospital at age 64 and is survived by his wife and three children. The funeral was also attended by Second Vice-President Enock Chihana and other senior officials, underscoring the prominence of the event in Malawi’s political and traditional leadership circles.