Keep out of politics, chiefs told

Wed, 10 May 2017 09:31:10 +0000

By AARON CHIYANZO

 IT IS unconstitutional for traditional leaders to involve themselves in politics in Zambia and those who do so should give up their thrones, says lawyer Makebi Zulu.

Mr Zulu said stressed that those traditional leaders who wanted to meddle and get actively involved in the politics of this country should quit their positions.

In an interview, Mr Zulu who is Eastern Province minister said in fact the Zambian constitution did not compel government to recognize chiefs.

The minister said apart from that, the republican constitution did not allow traditional leaders to get involved in politics.

He explained that article 168 (2) of the republican constitution deterred a traditional leader from meddling in politics.

Mr Zulu said in an interview with Daily Nation that the constitution required chiefs to abdicate their position if they wanted to get involved in politics.

“If a chief wants to get into involved in politics, the constitution in article 168 (2) makes it clear that they can only do so after they give up their throne,

“The position is not that they can’t get involved in politics, but the condition is that if they want, they should first give up the throne” he said.

Mr Zulu also said that traditional leaders were constitutionally according to the chiefs Act required to exist independently.

He reiterated that the Zambian government had no role whatsoever in the recognition of traditional leaders. Mr Zulu said that government could not in the same way withdraw the recognition of particular chief because they were supposed to exist independently. He however emphasized that it was no longer the role of government to outline the status of a chief but that traditional leaders were still not expected by law to get involved in politics. It has however become public knowledge that some traditional leaders have on a number of occasions publicly shown that they were politically inclined.

It was unacceptable that some traditional leaders had reduced themselves to a level of political cadres through their public disposition.