‘Cartel after Bemba vote’
By SILUMESI MALUMO
A cartel has been formed to fight the Bembas and divide their vote ahead of the 2021 elections, two traditional leaders have revealed.
The Bemba speaking chiefs yesterday revealed that this was all part of a scheme to cause confusion in the hope of dividing the Bemba vote.
The chiefs have, however, vowed to crush and dismantle the people being used by the cartel , especially those targeting Paramount Chief Chitimukulu.
According to Chief Chikwanda, Pramount Chitimukulu’s decision to advise his people to vote en mass like their Southern province friends, has unsettled the cartel, which has now turned its propaganda machinery against the chief in a bid to divide the Bemba vote.
And Chief Luchembe warned that the tactics of the cartel of going after Bemba speaking people by mudslinging the Paramount chief will not be tolerated or taken lightly.
The Bemba chiefs have vowed to fight tooth and nail to crush anyone involved in this clandestine activity.
The chiefs observed that there was an invisible force that was sponsoring confusion among the Bembas in an effort to cause divisions before the 2021 elections.
This follows claims by a senior citizen Joe Mwale that he had a dossier against Paramount Chief Chitimukulu and his alleged secret dealings with some international forces which he would expose at the right time.
This is amid several attacks on the Paramount chief and accusations by some opposition leaders that he was tribal over his advice to his subjects to vote in numbers during elections.
Chief Chikwanda of Mpika however said Mr Mwale together with other unscrupulous individuals who have been undermining Paramount Chitimukulu would be summoned to the Bemba traditional council, the Ilafya to substantiate their claims.
He said Mr Mwale would be compelled to expose the dossier he had against Paramount chief Chitimukulu and the acclaimed foreign power.
And Chief Luchembe of Mpika said Mr Mwale was being used by the cartel to cause divisions among the Bembas.
Chief Luchembe said a cartel which had been formed to fight the Bemba clan would not be tolerated at all cost.
“Especially that we are going into elections the trend by some people is an becoming and so unfortunate. We don’t know but prosperity will judge us in the comings year over these lies and mudslinging and what we are doing to each other,” Chief Luchembe said.
Meanwhile, Chief Chikwanda warned that the senior citizen had brought serious trouble upon himself and that if he was paid or acting on behalf of some unscrupulous people, he would expose the whole cartel by the time they were done with him.
He said in an interview that Mr Mwale would be fished out wherever he would be so that he informs the council over the matters he was claiming.
“This time around all those disrespecting the Paramount chief will not be left scot free because this was out of hand,” Chief Chikwanda said.
People, chief Chikwanda said, were supposed to respect traditional leaders which was not the case