HH detention: Lozi chief speaks out

Tue, 13 Jun 2017 14:05:45 +0000

By SANDRA MACHIMA

A LOZI chief has advised chiefs condemning the Government over the incarceration of the opposition UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema to stop because every citizen was equal before the law and that the state had the duty  to maintain law and order.

Chief Chiyengele of Western Province has warned chiefs not to bend the law when it suits them because they are parents of the nation who should guide all citizens regardless of their status.

The traditional leader distanced himself from the group of chiefs who were said to be meeting to plot protests against the incarceration of Mr Hichilema.

“I can never support wrongs. It does not matter who was involved because he is just like any other citizen and no one is above the law.

And I want to advise the chiefs to desist from supporting the wrongs because they are the parents of the nation who should lead by example and should not dent the law because the situation at hand fits them,” he said.

Chief Chiyengele accused the opposition UPND members of Parliament of having misled Mr Hichilema about being popular in Western province, saying not all the people were in support of the party.

“Mr Hichilema’s advisors have missed it because they were advising him wrongly, including some chiefs who were only doing it for reasons best known to them,” he said.

He said it was the responsibility of the traditional leaders to support the government of the day for the development to flourish in all the areas countrywide.

He warned chiefs, especially from Southern province and other parts of the country to change their attitude.

Chief Chiyengele said sympathizers of the UPND should not show an impression as if Mr Hichilema was the first person to be charged for treason.

“Time will come for him to prove to the law that he is innocent or not’’, he said.