A chief who didn’t stop learning

It is not every day that you see a chief giving PowerPoint presentations on global issues often left to technocrats, activists and academics, clad in suits.

However, meet Inkosi Mabulabo of Mzimba District at a high-level conference and he will stun you if you think the Ngoni chief has no other qualification except his royal blood, cultural beliefs and what he learned in his royal family.

Senior Chief Mabulabo belongs to a growing group of traditional leaders who continue to learn, keeping their minds open to emerging insights and blending global issues with indigenous knowledge.

“We live in a dynamic world,” he says. “If the world moves forward while you remain where you are, you will struggle to adapt.”

This month, Mabulabo graduated with a master of business administration (MBA) from Unicaf University—testifying to his discipline and time management.

“There is time for everything,” says the chief often photographed wearing animal skins.

Mabulabo (L) with M’mbelwa V. | Nation

Every year, he closes his Emfeni traditional court from November to May so that his community can fully dedicate themselves to farming.

“The recess gives my community time for productive activities,” says the chief. “It also allows me to run businesses, care for my crops and pursue studies.”

‘It was tough’

He obtained the postgraduate degree on October 10 after four years of learning, double the time other students take.

The chief laughs it off: “I would finish a semester, skip another when duty called, then return to books.

“It was tough. Sometimes, I failed. There were moments when I wondered why I had enrolled but I did not give up.”

His yearning to learn predates his enthronement in 2011.

In 2002, he completed a diploma in accounting with merit at the Malawi College of Accountancy.

He worked with People’s Trading Centre as an internal audit and risk management officer until 2008.

He was named Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Best Student in 2025

He obtained a Bachelor of Accountancy from Exploits University before joining Hydro Partners Limited as finance manager.

Born Mabulabo Jere, he was a board member of the Northern Region Water Board, National Library Service, Tobacco Commission and Technical, Entrepreneurial, Vocational and Education Training Authority, where he chaired finance and audit committees.

Education champion

Several individuals and groups have described the MBA as a symbol of his dedication, discipline and leadership potential.

Inkosi ya Makhosi M’mbelwa V, the paramount chief of the Jere Ngoni, congratulated Inkosi Mabulabo on his academic milestone.

He stated: “His pursuit of higher education resonates with our cultural heritage. He has been a promoter of education within the Kingdom, showing by example that education is both possible and valuable.

“I am proud of his achievement, which will enhance leadership in the Kingdom. He has provided a strong example for our youths.”

To Mabulabo, higher education is central to his pursuit of excellence. It included contract and land law that he uses when determining disputes.

“A chief who lacks basic law knowledge risks being misled into making questionable judgements. Most decisions made by traditional chiefs are reversed by courts because some rely on their own discretion rather than the law,” he says.

Mabulabo succeeded his deceased father at the age of 31 consistent with Ngoni customs.

“I married aged 30 because I wanted to be a chief,” says Mabulabo, who relocated from Ndirande Township in Blantyre City to Emfeni rural community as part of the takeover.

The chief believes access to quality education and business opportunities are not the preserve of urban life.

He urges young Malawians to learn until their dreams come true.

A model farmer in his area, he supports boys and girls selected to secondary schools and universities.

The chief also joins community initiatives to create safe learning environments in rural schools.

He states: “Despite having power, money, trucks, shops and my community to look after, I am still studying.

“I am not studying to get a job. Education is about acquiring knowledge. I want my community to be educated. When people ask which T/A has the most educated people in the country, they should talk about my area.”

However, the chief is opposed to young people who waste time drinking and loitering instead of studying.

He recalls taking some schoolchildren to a police station where their parents found them and received pep talk on the importance of parental care in young people’s learning experience.

Leading by example

Mabulabo wants to lead a community that understands public affairs and values knowledge.

“A country develops through educated people; everything else is secondary,” he says.

The country’s laws do not prescribe any qualification for chiefs, except ancestry.However, community leaders like Mabulabo stretch the limits for the Malawian child and their fellow royals. Where there is a will, there is a way.

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