allAfrica.com: Zambia: Hell Breaks Out At Senior Chief Shakumbila Palace (Page 1 of 1)

Commotion erupted during the installation of Chibamba Chikumbe as Senior Chief Shakumbila of Nangoma after a faction led by Jona Shankuba from the family tree claimed that the new chief was not the right heir to the throne.

Commotion started when the team led by Mr Shankuba tried to force entry into the palace where Central Province Minister, Ackimson Banda, was sitting with various chiefs, among them Chief Chipepo of Southern Province.

This forced the other team to respond angrily by blocking its opponents from getting inside the palace thereby attracting a huge crowd. Confusion was taking place without the knowledge of the chief and the minister but the two were later briefed about it all by the chief's retainers and his advisors. Retainers had a horrid time to control the uncompromising Shankuba-led team as they shouted on top of their voices, denouncing the new chief as a wrong person to assume the throne.

The absence of police security worsened the situation, forcing organisers to call officers from Mumbwa but by the time they arrived, the situation had already calmed down. In an interview later, Mr Shankuba, who was the chief protagonist, vowed not to recognise the new chief who the Government recognised. "The succession issue of Senior Chief Shakumbila is still in the courts of law and we are surprised that Government has gone ahead to install a new traditional leader who is not even near the lineage. The decision to go ahead and install a new chief when the matter is in court amounts to contempt," Mr Shankuba said.

He said they were surprised at the way the whole event was hastily conducted, as there had been no thorough consultations. To the contrary, the other faction in support of the new chief led by Noel Sichonda argued that wide consultations were made before the decision to settle for the new chief was taken. "As far as we are concerned, the court process was exhausted and wide consultations were made and that is why even President Mwanawasa decided to recognise Mr Chikumbe as the new Senior Chief Shakumbila," Mr Sichonda said. The new chief was, however, installed to the throne at a colorful ceremony characterised by dance and ululations from the crowd which included Mr Banda. In gracing the occasion, the minister said the Government was reliably informed that the royal family members held a lot of meetings under the chairmanship of Berdford Muchabi, traditionally known as a Mukwashi, which means a man vested with powers to appoint a new chief. "I am reliably informed that the electoral college of Shakumbila chiefdom sat on September 29, 2007 to select candidates from whom the successor was to be appointed. This exercise was witnessed by relevant Government departments and the council out of which the then acting chief emerged the favoured candidate of the five contestants," Mr Banda said.

The minister was, therefore, hopeful that the exercise would assist the traditional leader to consolidate and stabilise the local leadership and the chiefdom at large, as it would end succession disputes that normally characterised chiefdoms upon the death of the incumbent.

He congratulated the people of the chiefdom for the peace that had prevailed while the local authorities organised and implemented all practices that were traditionally followed to elect their heir to the throne. Mr Banda assured that the Government would never interfere in hereditary practices and procedures but would instead continue rendering counsel for advancement of chiefdoms.

"The local leadership and the central Government are partners in development whose ultimate objective is the benefit to our people in terms of advancement in social economic and political aspects and it is for this very reason that we shall always move in tandem," Mr Banda said. Mr Chikumbe, who has acted as senior chief for one year now, takes over the throne from the late Moses Shandapu Shakumbila who died on September 17, 2006.

In a vote of thanks, Chief Chipepo urged the people of Shakumbila to support their new chief because he had also been endorsed by God. "We are happy that the Shakumbila chiefdom has a new chief capable of running your affairs and welfare. Give him the support that he deserves as well as respect as the rightly heir to the throne," Chief Chipepo said. He hailed the support the Government had continued to render to traditional leaders in Zambia and urged citizens to respect President Mwanawasa as he discharged the affairs of the nation.

Various traditional leaders, among them Senior Chief Mukuni of Livingstone, witnessed the installation of the new chief.

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