By JACKSON MAPAPAYI
CHIEFS in NorthWestern Province have congratulated President Hakainde Hichilema on his victory as Zambia’s seventh President.
North-Western Province Council of Chiefs chairperson, Senior Chief Kanong’esha said chiefs in the region are happy with the election victory of Mr Hichilema in the August 12 general elections. He said in an interview yesterday that the United Party for National Development (UPND) leader has ascended to power at the right time so that he can address some of the vices the country was facing like tribalism and regionalism.
“We the traditional leaders in North-Western Province we are very happy and we congratulate the newly-elected President Mr Hakainde Hichilema,” Chief Kanong’esha said. He said chiefs in the province will work with the incoming government to foster development. “We pledge to work with the incoming President and the support the new government in bettering the lives of our people,” he said. Chief Kanong’esha appealed to the new Government to detach traditional leaders from politics and uphold their dignity as chiefs.
He, however, said chiefs are ready to work with the government to enhance development in their respective chiefdoms and the nation as a whole. “We want to play our free role as chiefs and not being connected to politics.
Just like other institutions have raised concern like the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), we are also bemoaning that we should be liberated from being connected to politics,” Chief Kanong’esha said.
He urged the new government to include the House of Chiefs in its governance system to enable the institution have much influence. “We want our House of Chiefs to have some bit of influence in the governance system as an advisory body than it is now because it is just a white elephant,” he said. The traditional leader also praised the President-elect for guaranteeing a free media space especially the public media by allowing them to even cover the opposition political parties in the country.
