Amos Malupenga
6 September 2002
I will die defending the dignity and sanctity of our Lozi chiefs, said Princess Nakatindi Wina yesterday.
Reacting to press reports that she had been summoned by the Barotse Royal Establishment in Mwandi to answer charges for allegedly insulting senior chief Inyambo Yeta, Princess Nakatindi said she learnt with indignation the statement that she had been summoned to appear before the royal court.
Princess Nakatindi, who is Sesheke UPND member of parliament, is alleged to have said at a campaign rally in Mwandi over the weekend that senior chief Inyambo Yeta had been bribed by the MMD to influence the allegiance of people in the constituency. Induna Soka said they have summoned Princess Nakatindi so she could explain the reasons behind her disparaging remarks against the chief.
But Princess Nakatindi said though she has not yet received the summons, the case will be of great interest to the Lozi people and the Republic as it will define the boundaries and proprieties for Lozi traditional chiefs in multiparty politics.
She said this matter will be a Pandora's box. Princess Nakatindi said both senior chief Inyambo and herself shared the same grandfather - paramount chief Yeta and that both of them grew up in the royal household. "Both of us were detained by the MMD government, him under the black Mamba and I under the 1997 aborted army uprising together with first Republican president Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and both of us were taken out by Sakwiba Sikota, Mundia Sikatana and others," Princess Nakatindi said.
"We therefore know what we are talking about. When nationalist politics first entered the then Barotseland, it was my late mother chieftainess Nakatindi who took president Kaunda to Limulunga to meet Sir Mwanawina Lewanika."
Princess Nakatindi said all who accompanied Dr. Kaunda and Dr. Kaunda himself had to perform the royal traditional salute before they entered the palace grounds to meet the Litunga. She said even during the Kuomboka ceremony, the Litunga walks with the President but never does he ever introduce him to his indunas while they are standing in a line, as per tradition.
"All salutation, if any, were made in the court yard," Princess Nakatindi said. "But what we saw on television during the President's (Levy Mwanawasa) visit to Mwandi and the evidence we gathered in Mwandi itself went contrary to Lozi traditions by allowing chief Inyambo to come out of his palace and introduce indunas to the President while they were standing in a line and not seated as per tradition, as if he was a party cadre." Princess Nakatindi said this was the first time this was happening, even in chief Inyambo's reign himself.
She said tensions were high during elections and it was dangerous to allow the use of the Kuta (Naamoo) for party political rallies. She challenged Induna Soka to tell the nation which President had a political rally at Naamoo since independence.
"We appreciate the excitement of seeing the new President and how some chiefs are competing to show who loves him most but let us not do this at the expense of our traditions," Princess Nakatindi said. "I will die defending the dignity and sanctity of our Lozi chiefs."
She denied any knowledge about the bribes saying probably induna Soka knew some details about that. Princess Nakatindi said as for corruption during the campaign period, the delivering of maize in trucks was witnessed by many people. She said if induna Soka was a traditionalist, he should not have announced her being summoned by the Kuta through the press but if this was going to be the custom to handle such matters, then she was ready to take him on.
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