‘Mpezeni snubs gov’t Ministers at Mtenguleni’

By NATION REPORTER
PARAMOUNT Chief Mpezeni has urged politicians to embrace peace, unity and forgiveness.
The Chief is said to have refused to meet Local Government and Rural Development Minister Garry Nkombo and his entourage Saturday morning at Ephendukeni palace when they paid a courtesy call on him.
According to Ngoni senior chiefs and Indunas close to the developments of Saturday at Ephendukeni, Nkombo in the company of other ministers, among them deputy speaker of the National Assembly Moses Moyo, Eastern Province Minister, Peter Phiri, Muchinga Province Minister Juma Sikazwe, Southern Province Minister Cornelius Mweetwa, Water Development Minister Mike Mposha, Small and Medium Enterprise Minister Elias Mubanga, Permanent Secretary Special Duties Patrick Mucheleka, Provincial Permanent Secretary Paul Thole and his deputy Princes Beauty Undi Phiri went to pay a courtesy call on Paramount Chief Mpezeni but the King of the Ngoni people of Eastern Province refused to meet them.
The senior Chiefs said when Mr Nkombo and his entourage arrived at the palace, Mpezeni was with Mwata Kazembe from Luapula in Mwansabombwe holding talks with other chiefs.
But when he was informed about their presence, Paramount Chief Mpezeni angrily refused to meet them, saying “Ala bauzyeni to go. I am busy.” (Tell them to go).
“Paramount Chief Mpezeni refused to meet the Mr Nkombo and his entourage. He was angry to learn that the President Hakainde Hichilema will not attend the ceremony despite Inkhosi officially inviting him on his own. You know this event was the most important one because the ceremony had clocked 40 years from the time it was revived, and at the same time Paramount Chief Mpezeni had clocked 40 years on throne, He is the longest serving Paramount Chief in the entire Zambia,” one of the Senior Chiefs said.
He explained that what was so upsetting and annoying for Paramount Chief Mpezeni was that State House on Tuesday communicated directly to inform him that President Hichilema would be available at the ceremony.
Paramount Chief Mpezeni was however infuriated after he was told on Friday night that President Hichilema would not be able make it because of the outbreak of Cholera in the province.
“Paramount Chief Mpezeni had put in a lot in the preparation to accommodate the President of the Republic of Zambia and to be told at the last minute through a press statement by Health Minister Sylvia Masebo that the President was not attending the ceremony because of Cholera and Covid-19 was an insult to the Ngoni Speaking people of Eastern Province and the Chief himself. He did not want to have anything to do with Government officials and in fact, he did not want anyone of them to attend. That is why on Friday, the provincial administration panicked,” one of chief who was with Paramount Chief Mpezeni said.