By AARON CHIYANZO
PARAMOUNT Chief Chitimukulu should leave the throne and join politics if he does not have serious issues to discuss and only wants to politick, United Party for National Development (UPND) deputy secretary general, Patrick Mucheleka has said.
Mr Mucheleka said there were many serious issues affecting subjects that Paramount Chief Chitimukulu could be addressing instead of politicking.
He was reacting to Paramount Chief Chitimukulu’s revelations that Mr Muchelekaand his party, were plotting to dethrone him if they formed Government in 2021.
Mr Mucheleka however said during a radio interview yesterday on 5FM that what the Mwinelubemba was claiming were none issues and that he was just being partisan.
He said if there was any truth in his claims, the Bemba council of chiefs would have summoned him a long time especially that he was part of the royal family.
Mr Mucheleka said the paramount chief was just succumbing to partisan forces, saying he should leave the throne and be taken on as a political opponent if that was the route he wanted to take.
He said at no time had he or any UPND official contemplated on dethroning the Mwinelubemba Kanyanta Sosola.
“Mwinelubemba even disowned Chief Munkonge when he came to give solidarity to Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba when he was incarcerated, very embarrassing. These are just politics, they come and go but family is family. Whether Mwinelubembalikes it or not, I am his nephew and if I have done something wrong, let him cause bashilubemba to summon me. I haven’t been summoned, all this well.
“If the chief wants to speak, let him speak through other people on issues of development not every day its PF, UPND no! There are more important things which he can address if he wishes. Chinese are grabbing our land there but not talking. If he wants to join politics, let him leave the throne and there are many people there who can take over,” he said.
Mr Mucheleka advised the Mwinelubemba to stay out of politics because he would not allow anyone to destroy the throne.
He said he was ready to do anything possible to defend the chieftainship and would stop anyone trying to interfere with the institution.
Meanwhile, the Zambia Republic Party says the revelation by Paramount Chief Chitimukulu that the UPND has been plotting to dethrone him if it wins next year’s general elections has caused immense fear in the opposition party.
ZRP president, Wright Musoma said news of the alleged scheme and the insults it triggered from UPND cadres targeting the paramount chief have caused widespread outrage across the northern half of Zambia where the ruling Patriotic Front enjoys a lot of support.
Mr Musoma said the UPND must use its recently recruited Israeli election management team, its propaganda machinery, to launch a spirited damage control campaign on social media and a private tabloid it controls to mitigate the harsh backlash.
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