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Zambia: Over 200 Nsenga Headmen Threaten to Ditch MMD
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The Times of Zambia (Ndola)
24 March 2008
Posted to the web 24 March 2008
Davis Mataka
MORE than 200 senior headmen in Chief Kalindawalo's area in Petauke have threatened to ditch the ruling MMD following alleged inertia over the handling of the succession wrangles that have dogged the Nsenga clan for more than five years.
But Chief Government Spokesperson, Mike Mulongoti said the Government was aware of the succession wrangles but did not want to be perceived like it was interfering in traditional affairs.
All except two chiefdoms in the district, Nyanje and Mwanjawanthu have been faced with serious upheavals recently with the Kalindawalo chieftainship wrangle being the most volatile, while similar wrangles have been simmering in chiefs Sandwe, Mumbi and Nyampande's areas
At an emotionally charged meeting held at the old Kalindawalo palace at the weekend, the headmen vowed to withdraw their support for the ruling party.
They charged that there was a conspiracy to relegate the Nsenga tribe into a sub- tribe of the Chewa through wrong procedures of installation of chiefs while the Government had not shown any interest.
Both chiefs Mwanjawanthu and Nyampande confirmed in separate interviews in Petauke that there was mounting tension in the district, which, if not dealt with soon, would have far reaching political and social ramifications for the region.
But Mr Mulongoti said the Government was equally concerned about the problems afflicting the area.
He noted that issues concerning chiefs were traditional and family-based and the Government did not want to be seen to be interfering at this stage.
Mr Mulongoti said the Government was alive to the fact that such matters were sensitive but procedure needed to be followed.
The minister said the issue of gazetting appointments of chiefs was a process, which began from the royal family making recommendations of the rightful heir.
Mr Mulongoti said the procedure was such that the name was passed to a full district council meeting, which in turn passed it on to the provincial local government authority.
He explained that the minister of Local Government and Housing was the last authority before the name was handed over to the President and a gazette notice issued
"We do not want to be seen to impose ourselves at this point because we can be accused of interference in traditional matters. It is not Government's business to install chiefs, we only render legal recognition to an already chosen person.
"My advice is that the same process which was used when recommending the name of the gazetted Chief Mudikula should be followed, if other parties are aggrieved, let them give us their preferred choice of a chief and we will comply," he said
Speaking through their secretary, Davison Makalamu Mwanza, who is headman Mulipa, the headmen said they had made a collective decision as Nsenga people to support the ruling party and that was evidenced by the sweeping victories of the three members of Parliament from the area, Peter Daka for Msanzala constituency, Dora Siliya for Petauke Central and Fashion Phiri for the Kapoche.
Headman Mulipa said that either President Mwanawasa was being wrongly briefed about the situation in the area, or the MMD Government had abandoned the Nsenga people.
He said some facts had been overlooked when the Govern gazetted headman Mudikula as Senior Chief Kalindawalo when there was an already reigning Kalindawalo on the seat.
Headman Mulipa observed that matters of installation of chiefs was the preserve of specific family lines in the Nsenga culture and no court ruling or Government gazette notice would change this fact.
He also noted that the family tree line of Chief Kalindawalo was very clear and could be followed through history, evidenced by the tombs of reigning chiefs dating back to the early 1900s.
There were emotional scenes as old men and women wailed openly when the senior Nthumvi or official installer of Kalindawalo chiefs led hundreds of people to the sacred burial site were he pointed out and named the line of chiefs' tombs.
According to official village headmen records of 1982, Mudikula is registered as a headman.
And addressing the headmen, Chief Mwanjawanthu who himself recently emerged from yet another succession wrangle said the Nsenga were a very proud people who would not let the insults of laboratory made wrangles derail the whole clan.
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He said the neighboring chiefdoms of Nyampande, Mumbi, Sandwe, Mwanjawanthu and Nyanje would not allow the mayhem that was going on but would rally together to uphold the Nsenga traditions.
Chief Mwanjawanthu ordered the headmen to henceforth re-establish the traditional court systems in the villages to ensure order returned to the areas. He added that no traditional ceremony had taken place in seven years and this year was a turning point, as everything would be regularised.
Commenting on the succession wrangles, Chief Nyampande, who himself survived a palace coup by Lusaka lawyer, Sebastian Zulu recently, warned that the pride of the Nsenga was at stake and the Government must take up the matter head on.
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| Copyright © 2008 The Times of Zambia. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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