Sun, 13 Aug 2017 10:39:32 +0000
By CHIKUMBI KATEBE in Kasama
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has hailed traditional leaders for their relentless efforts in promoting unity and upholds the unparralled history of longstanding peace which have earned Zambia a global recognition.
And President Lungu has appealed to the House of chiefs to facilitate for the harmonisation of the traditional ceremonies calendar to help Government schedule its movement to remove the perception that his office was segregating on which traditional ceremonies to grace.
Speaking yesterday when he graced this year’s Ukusefya Pang’wena traditional ceremony of the Bemba speaking-people of Mungwi district in the Northern Province, President Lungu said it was the chiefs’ responsibility to nurture the spirit of coexistence among the people to foster unity in the country. He said Government recognised the pivotal role traditional leaders played in national development and has since directed the Ministry of Traditional Affairs to engage them in programmes on rural development. “I wish to encourage you as traditional leaders not to relent in promoting peace in your respective communities. Our unparralled history of longstanding peace puts Zambia under the spotlight as the world waits to see how far we can go with this unbroken record,” President Lungu said. He reiterated Government’s commitment to upholding the constitution in protecting the lives of the people and their property and praised the Bemba people and their Paramount Chief Chitimukulu for the smooth transition to the Bemba Royal Establishment succession.
“I am proud to note that the rich Bemba customs marked by elaborate traditional structures has to a large extent contributed to the smooth ascension of respectable Bemba chiefs to their throne,” he said.
And President Lungu has asked the House of Chiefs to sit down and harmonise the period for holding traditional ceremonies to avoid the controversy over the notion that Government had placed preference on certain tribes.
He said there was no small tribe or small ceremony as all the people were equal. “I was only told on Monday that the Lunda-Lubanza ceremony of the North-western Province is also today (yesterday) the same day as the Bembas’ Ukusefya Pang’wena. Now there is a perception that because I was here last year and I am here again this year, I am favouring some tribes against other tribes,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Chitimukulu noted that traditional ceremonies reminded people of their unity and taught them the best way of resolving problems from the past.
The paramount chief also said the Bemba Royal Establishment respected people’s choice in the 2016 presidential elections in which President Lungu came out victorious and that the people expected nothing else but Government to be given space to work to foster national development.
He advised President Lungu to remain resolute by not wasting time on his critics who were hell-bent on diverting his developmental programmes being undertaken in all parts of the country by wasting their energies on politicking.
