Tue, 03 Oct 2017 10:35:12 +0000
Snubbing Government is treasonable
Dear Editor
THE action by Senior Chief Mukuni to exclude Government and invite an opposition leader to preside over the Toka-Leya ceremony is treasonable. Government and the Ministry of Traditional Affairs should not allow this matter to pass without severe censure and retribution.
This is a show of disrespect that borders on rebellion because it is a known fact that Government is always invited to traditional ceremonies to provide the bread of our national character. Government represents all the people of Zambia and their participation is an endorsement of the one Zambia one nation motto.
The deliberate exclusion of Government is an act of reckless defiance of authority that defies the moral demand for chiefs and other national leaders to strive for unity.
Unity is the only binding chord that will keep our country united while it pursues development and growth. Without unity and peace, our country will fragment and whatever gains have been made will be lost as more money is spent on security and more efforts exerted to ensure that law and order are maintained.
The action of Senior Chief Mukuni is a danger to this country and most not be allowed to go unpunished because it can be the start of similar displays of intransigence, insularity and above all disregard for the state.
This rot should not be allowed and those politicians who embrace it should know that they are provoking and stoking a phenomenon with the potential to consume the entire country.
The UPND should understand that the PF victory was founded on much greater concerns than tribal affiliation. The PF represents a population of our society that is united in an aspiration for social and material concern including workers, youths and many other people who have no regard for tribe or regional origin.
The introduction of ethnicity in politics will be a very dangerous development that should not be allowed and I am grateful that other chiefs use their ceremonies as events to exhibit unity. They even prohibit the use of party regalia to ensure that no animosity of a partisan nature is allowed.
We must all work very hard that those who aspire for public office in Zambia will not ascend to these lofty positions to further their sectional or regional interests.
The interest of the nation must always rise beyond individual or sectional interest.
Aggrey Nkandu.
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Traditional leaders should be promoting unity
Dear Editor,
IF there is something that must be distressing the majority of Zambians to their marrow today, it must be the issue of tribalism or regionalism.
We cannot all but hide our heads in the sand like that foolish ostrich and pretend that all is well in our great nation.
Latest events in the Southern Province do not point to national unity when traditional ceremonies are being turned into political arenas to pour scorn on those in authority just because one of theirs is not in State House.
The situation becomes even more disquieting when chiefs take the centre stage in promoting such regionalism or tribalism for that matter.
If there is one tribe in Zambia which thinks it can produce a republican president on its own, then it is better off waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ because that will NOT happen.
If our Tonga brothers and sisters for starters, think they can produce a Tonga president on their own, I want to assure them that it will not happen, no matter what.
The same goes for Bembas, Nyanjas, Kaondes, Luvales, Lozis etc etc. They all need other tribes to make it to Plot One. By the way Zambia has 73 tribes to reckon with.
No one tribe should feel big headed and think it knows better. All tribes in Zambia are important and add value to the nation.
So for me, chiefs like Mukuni (who spends nights at cemeteries with the dead, for whatever reasons) Moonze and Hamusonde are not helping their son Hakainde Hichilema in any way.
They are not adding value to him because the rest of Zambians will feel isolated through such thinking and I am sure you can guess the consequences of such undertakings.
Surely, what do these chiefs hope to achieve by shunning the government of the day? Will that take HH to State House? They should stop and think seriously.
For me, all the bucks squarely stop at HH. I could be wrong, but I think he may be the one influencing the chiefs to behave in that fashion because he is always the main thespian at these functions. Is that by sheer coincidence?
Frankly speaking, all this will not help him much because politics, they say, is about numbers. He badly needs these numbers to make his State House dreams come true.
Indeed, if on the other hand HH does not want to embrace non-Tongas by being a Tonga instead of a Zambian, then he can forget ruling Zambia in all his life time.
Perhaps this explains why President Julius Nyerere (MHRIEP) of Tanzania abolished the chiefdoms and turned all the chiefs into ordinary citizens.
Again, I wish to earnestly appeal to HH to turn to God and begin to embrace all Zambians regardless of their tribes. That is the only way forward. Concerned Senior Citizen.
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Sewer system behind Parliament Motel needs urgent attention
Dear Editor,
WE have noticed that there is a constant leakage of the sewer pipe behind Parliament Motel hostels.
It is the duty of the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company to unblock blocked sewer pipes.
It is a health absurd as it stinks badly and we wonder how the members of Parliament living in these hostels could fail to alert the management of LWSC to urgently come and unblock this sewer line.
This is the same at ZAMSURE football ground where the sewer is broken and it also needs someone to unblock it.
We therefore urge LWSC to look into this problem without any delay, Concerned Citizen.
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Omission of Kalaba by ‘Wada’ display of hatred
Dear Editor,
WE are disappointed by the kind of hatred exhibited by Chipolopolo coach “Wada” over Rainford Kalaba.
If a coach behaves in such way without pardoning wrongdoers, then it means he is a very cruel person.
We understand that discipline should prevail in each player but as a coach, you are a parent and you need to call such erring players and give parental advice.
This is totally uncalled for and we shall continue to protest to you because you are a human being and are bound to make a mistake.
For me, I think you are the worst coach we have had because you are unforgiving.
Mind you, Kalaba has done a lot for this nation than you “Wada.”
Julius Kazembe.
