Sat, 03 Jun 2017 13:12:19 +0000
By OSCAR MALIPENGA
PARAMOUNT Chief Mpezeni is saddened by
reports of a clandestine group, the ‘Mau Mau’ threatening to kill easterners in Southern Province, a move to which a local chief has also been linked.
Scores of people talked to, told the Daily Nation that Easterners voted for UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema and what was happening was regretable.
Paramount Chief Mpezeni’s representative, who is also chairman of the N’cwala national organising committee, Brighton Ngoma, said the development was regrettable and that the Ngoni chief had always been of the view that Zambia was for
everyone.
Mr. Ngoma said Paramount Chief Mpezeni always talked about how Eastern Province accommodated everybody else
regardless of their origin.
“You find farmers in Eastern Province who are Tongas keeping cattle. We have all Zambians in one place,” he said.
Mr. Ngoma said Paramount Chief Mpezeni ‘‘obviously he
embraces everyone in his chiefdom and expected others to do the same’’.
“What would happen if Ngonis decided to start chasing Nsengas or Bembas? I mean the whole thing would be on fire, that would be his view and I have heard him consolidate that position all the time. “That is why you will find that he easily associates with the people. People say why is Mpezeni easily accessible? It is because he does not behave like ‘look I am a Ngoni Chief’ and only Ngonis can approach him. You will find that even when he comes to Lusaka, he will interact with any tribe,” Mr. Ngoma said.
And former UPND deputy spokesperson Edwin Lifwekelo has disclosed that they were aware of the activities of the group and that a well-known chief was sympathetic to the group.
The ‘‘Mau Mau” of Southern Province led by a Mr. Mweemba has launched a vicious tribal war with threats to kill people from Eastern Province working or living in the Province.
Mr. Lifwekelo said the “Mau Mau” was real as it was previously called operational repo and now revisiting their strategies of causing protests, instigating riots, infiltrating student movements.
He disclosed that there was one prominent anti-Edgar Lungu chief in Southern who was actively involved in the “Mau Mau” movement’s illegal activities.
“We have been following his movements and we are just waiting for the right time to catch them ready handed. There is one anti-Edgar Lungu chief who is also part of the grouping that is trying to cause political instability.
“The group has noticed that burning markets, bus stations and governments building which they started backfired because most of the public opinions have been against them. So, they have been revisiting their strategy by causing protests, instigating riots, infiltrating student movements. “Our radar is very much ahead of them our spotlight is on them and we are fully aware of the meetings and all the activities going on. We are just waiting for the right time for us to get what we are looking for,” he said.
Mr. Lifwekelo said most of the leaders pushing the “Mau Mau” agenda would soon face the law.
“We shall catch up with them because we are fully aware of their activities,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Chipepo of the Tonga-speaking people told the Daily Nation that after learning about the launch of the vicious tribal war, he immediately alerted the House of Chiefs through the chairman Chief Ntambu of the Lunda-speaking people in North-Western Province and decided not to involve themselves at an early stage unless politicians failed to resolve it.
“I had to seek audience with the chair (Chief Ntambu) and he advised me that at this stage we cannot involve ourselves because it involves a lot of security issues and it is just politics at play.
“We shall wait and see how the politicians will behave among themselves and then later reconcile them. You know, when children are fighting, the role of a father is to bring them together and counsel them so that is what the chair advised me,” Chief Chipepo said.
He said if not resolved by next week, the House Chiefs would issue a reconciliatory statement.
In a letter dated May 3, 2017, with the address of Mazabuka Municipal Council and addressed to the Provincial Minister Dr. Edify Hamukale, the same group also calling itself ‘‘True Tongas’’ has made five demands to the Government, saying failure to meet the demands, the group would start killing people from Eastern Province, employed or living in Southern Province.
Among the demands, the group wants President Edgar Lungu to return Itezhi-Tezhi and Chirundu districts to Southern Province and also to release all Tongas detained or serving jail sentences.
“Using this correspondence, Tongas under oath wish to underline the following demands to Mr. Edgar C. Lungu: Bring back Itezhi-Tezhi and Chirundu to Southern Province, release all Tongas from prison, increase the number of Tonga Cabinet ministers, stop killing Tongas and re-employ all the Tongas chased from different workplaces,” the letter reads.
The group has further threatened that it would start killing people from Eastern Province if Government did not meet its
demands.
