This, the chief believe, will go a long way in helping his subjects save food for their homes and eventually the whole area under his jurisdiction.

Senior Chief Lukwa says this will preserve the little amounts of maize that people still have in their homes ahead of the next harvest sometime in March this year.

“I don't want any chief to force bereaved family members to feed people who come to funerals. There is a serious problem in our midst and we must allow families to preserve whatever little food they have.

“It's a fact that everyone is struggling to find food because we did not harvest enough. The situation is also related to the fact that we are coming from another season of low harvest. And government cannot feed us all,” he said urging othet local leaders to follow his direction.

It is a tradition and culture in Malawi that for every funeral, people are invited to a meal as they are thought to be hungry after, usually, a whole morning’s ceremony.

But now the local leader challenges Zodiak Online; “Given the current food situation, it's difficult for family members to feed everyone. WE should only cook for grave diggers and close family relations”.

An estimated 1.9 million Malawians are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance according to the revised report of the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee.

Government's Agricultural Development Marketing Cooperation is rationing maize sales ensuring that each buyer buys 10 kilograms per buyer with markets opening once per week.