Name Charles Kalemba | ||
 | ||
Charles Kalemba is the City Council Chief Executive Officer of Zomba, Malawi, and the Zomba District Chief Executive Officer. He is one of the champions of the Zomba, Zomba District - Urbana, Illinois sister city project through Sister Cities International. Kalemba is the former District Commissioner for Lilongwe District associated with the controversial relocation of Malawian villagers for a Raising Malawi school project spearheaded by Madonna.
Raising Malawi Academy for Girls relocation controversy
As District Commissioner for Lilongwe, he was in charge of the controversial order for the villagers to move off the land to make way for the construction of the proposed Raising Malawi Academy for Girls citing that it was government land reserved for development projects. He is quoted to have said 'You are lucky that Madonna has compensated you for your houses, gardens and trees.' According to Anjimile Oponyo who was going to be the director of Madonna's school, the singer paid the villagers more than 16 million Malawian kwacha (about $115,000) to compensate them for their houses.