TONGA CHIEFS U-TURN

Mon, 14 Aug 2017 11:03:40 +0000

…traditional ceremonies to go ahead despite HH incarceration 

By Simon Muntemba

SOUTHERN Province Chiefs have rescinded their decision to do away with traditional ceremonies for as long as UPND leader, Hakainde Hichilema was still detained.

Mr Hichilema has been in detention at Mukobeko Maximum Correctional Facility awaiting trail on treason charges.

He is charged with five others following an incident in Mongu earlier this year during the Kuomboka traditional ceremony of the Lozi people.

The Tonga chiefs had vowed to suspend holding of traditional ceremonies until their ‘son’ was freed, a move that has triggered concerns about the importance of culture.

Chief Chikanta of the Tonga people in Kalomo who led other Chiefs at the Ukusefya pang’wena traditional ceremony told the Daily Nation that the earlier decision of not holding the ceremonies in the Province has been reconsidered.

The chief  noted that traditional ceremonies bring peace and harmony among traditional and political leaders and helped to maintain culture.

The traditional leader indicated that it was for this reason that he and other Chiefs from Southern Province decided to attend the Ukusefya Pang’wena traditional ceremony.

Chief Chikanta further disclosed that the Southern Province Royal Foundation will on August 18 sit in Choma to inform the nation on the development.

“I don’t want to pre-empty what will be announced when the Southern Province Royal Foundation sit on Friday 18 August. The Foundation is going to sit in Choma to state the position of other remaining ceremonies. But what I know is that they will all take place,” Chief Chikanta said.

He further explained that two traditional ceremonies were suspended due to the political atmosphere at that time which he described as not conducive.

“The two traditional ceremonies of Chief Monze and Mukuni were postponed earlier this year because the Chiefs felt that the political situation was not conducive,” he said.

The nine traditional leaders from Southern Province that attended the Ukusefya Pang’wena were Chief Chikanta of Kalomo, Chief Choma of Choma, Simwatachela of Zimba and Chief Mweeemba of Sinazongwe.

Others were Chief Sinazongwe, Chief Mweenda of Chikankata, Chieftains Choongo of Monze and Chief Mukobela of Namwala.