Sat, 05 Aug 2017 10:29:09 +0000
BY CHINTU MALAMBO
CHIEF Liteta has dragged 6 members of the Lenje Royal Establishment to court, demanding a court order to restrain then from inciting members of the family and the public to rise against him.
He has further claimed a declaration that he remains Chief Liteta of the Lenje people having been duly elected and gazetted in accordance with tradition and the law.
In a statement of claims filed in the Lusaka High Court principal registry, Chief Liteta claimed that he was in 2002, chosen to become Chief Liteta when he succeeded his uncle who died shortly before then and that the coronation ceremony was witnessed by all members of the Royal Establishment in the presence of an authorized government official.
Chief Liteta charged that on 24th May 2002, he was attacked in his residence as gun shots were fired by those he suspected to have opposed his selection as Chief.
“On 24th May, 2002, I was attacked as gun shots were fired into my residence and about 18 rounds of AK 47 ammunition were found to have penetrated the walls and it was then strongly suspected that these attacks were perpetrated by those opposed to my being selected as Chief,” he said.
He indicated that when the central government requested to be allocated 5 kilometers of land to establish District and Council offices and other supporting infrastructure, which he granted, one of the defendants was against the decision to allocate land to the government despite his quest to foster development in the chiefdom.
The plaintiff charged that the defendants held several meetings, with the view of causing physical harm or forcibly remove him from his position as Chief and that they had written several letters to government offices to the effect that they have since removed him from his position as chief.
“In the defendants pursuit to incriminate me, several meeting too numerous to be recounted have been organized and held with the view of causing physical harm and or forcibly eject me from my position as Chief Liteta by dispossessing me of the Traditional and official instrument of power,” he submitted.
The Chief charged that on 6th July, he appointed new headmen and to their displeasure, the defendants appointed Melody Chitambala, who is senior chief Mukuni Ngombe to be introduced as new Chieftainess Liteta, contrary to Tradition and law as a vacancy has not arisen for such an appointment to become due.
Now he claims an order to restrain the said Melody Chitambala from declaring and holding herself out as Chieftainess Liteta or carrying out any duties relating to that office.
