One of the church elders Daniel Pahuwa told Zodiak Online on Friday that the school belongs to them hence the leadership of all the institution's committees should be headed by its members, something Village Headman Kajawo and other locals say, cannot happen because there is nothing that the church contributed.

"Firstly, for the school to start, it started with the church. Secondly, in every religious education institution, every leadership is headed by the church members. This is why the church was involved in that issue of committee elections.

"In addition, even the place where the school was built, is for the church," Pahuwa added.

All started this week when the school convened a community meeting to select a new School Management Committee (SMC) where the church's leadership said the Committee must be led by the church member as part of the ownership of the school.

This did not go down well with the community members who boycotted the meeting including the area's Village Headman Kajawo who said, "that cannot happen because there is no infrastructure to the church's name except its prayer house which she agreed started before the school".

Meanwhile, Namjodi Primary school headteacher James Mpina has declined to comment on the matter while Thyolo district director of education youth and sports Chrissy Chinsale said, is yet to receive a report, but promised to follow up.

Ironically, Sub-Traditional Authority Chidothe of the area has backed the church's stance, arguing, "it was late Bingu wa Mutharika who supported the classroom blocks construction in premise that his late father was the church's founder".

Currently, the school and locals are yet to set another date to elect a new School Management Committee.