Don’t dilute our culture – chief

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 11:02:57 +0000

By ANNIE ZULU
DILUTING Zambia’s culture to have a western semblance amounts to lack of appreciation for tradition and must be discouraged, Chief Chipepo of the Tonga-speaking people of Southern Province has said.
Chief Chipepo said he was unhappy with the way the Zambian culture was being neglected
He told the Daily Nation in an interview that there was need for preservation of the country’s culture to promote domestic tourism in the country.
The traditional leader appealed to Zambians to preserve, protect and adopt moral values and standards that made a Zambian a unique person.
“Our culture is not being promoted, instead we have adopted the Western culture which is not correct and should not be allowed to continue,” Chief Chipepo said.
He added that leaders were not playing a role that would encourage the people to adopt the country’s culture.
“The attitude of our leaders towards culture have allowed Western culture to influence the youth,” he said.
And Chief Chipepo has expressed concern about the way the country’s educational system was inactive when it came to culture.
He was of the view that in order to encourage people to adopt Zambian culture, politicians, government and other stakeholders should also work hand-in-hand with the traditional leaders to promote Zambian culture among people, adding that social and cultural studies should be incorporated in the school’s curriculum to enable the child learn about the country’s culture.
Chief Chipepo who also expressed concern about the attitude of the youth and their way of dressing, hinted that the behaviour of the youth these days had affected the growth of Zambian culture.
He further observed that most of the songs aired on the country’s local radio stations were not good for public consumption.
He said such songs encouraged the youth not to adopt Zambian culture but that of the West.
He advised that Zambians should encourage musicians to produce music which would educate the people to desist from acts that sought to undermine the country’s progress.