Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
There is a standoff between President Michael Sata and Bemba Chiefs following Sata’s decision to de-gazette senior Chief Mwamba of Kasama district.
Following Sata’s decision to de-gazette senior Chief Mwamba, a special meeting of elders convened under the Bemba Traditional Council held in Mungwi district on Saturday and resolved to ignore the President’s decision to ban Senior Chief Mwamba.
Last week, Sata de-gazetted senior Chief Mwamba alleging that the traditional ruler was not properly installed, but it has been realised that senior Chief Mwamba had been a critic of the President.
The president had instructed Chiefs and Traditional Affairs minister Nkandu Luo to delete senior Chief Mwamba’s credentials from the House of Chiefs and suspend all his emoluments and allowances entitled to him.
President Sata had decreed that Henry Sosala must not be called Senior Chief Mwamba of the Bemba people in Kasama until the controversy surrounding the chieftaincy was settled.
The council of elders is traditionally known as Ichenje convened in late Chief Chitimukulu’s chiefdom in Kasama. The special meeting was attended by traditional councilors called Bashi Lubemba in the Bemba dialect, the acting paramount Chief Chitimukulu was also in attendance and together with Chief Chimba.
Some sources who attended the meeting and acting Paramount Chief Chitimukulu Chilufya confirmed the special meeting having taken place. They said from Kasama that the council resolved to ignore Sata’s decree because it was against the Bemba custom.
The acting Paramount Chief Chitimukulu said the traditional council had resolved to ignore Sata’s actions because they were eroding the powers of the Bashi Lubemba who are responsible for making royal appointments or dethronements.
He said all the people who attended the meeting of elders under the Bashi Lubemba were passionate about the matter and were all in agreement with the motion to ignore Sata’s decree.
“All the people maintained they still consider Henry Sosala as the duly appointed senior Chief Mwamba because that is the reality. We decided to ignore Mr Sata’s decree to dethrone Senior Chief Mwamba,” he said.
And acting Chief Chitimukulu Chilufya said Bemba Traditional Council would travel from Mungwi district to Kasama district on Monday to give the official position on the matter and members of the public would be informed officially through the press.
And senior Chief Mwamba said no one could remove royalty from him because he was born with royal blood.
Sosala said he was born a royal child and would die a royal man because his mother was a queen mother who gave birth to chiefs.
But Sata in his letter addressed to Traditional Affairs Minister Nkandu Luo said it was not the intention of his government to interfere in chief’s succession matters but would not stand aside and watch confusion ensue in the Bemba land.
Sata also faces a mammoth task in resolving traditional matters in Western province where he promised to restore the Barotseland Agreement of 1964 during his 2011 political campaigns.
Some pressure groups have risen to demand for him to deliver his campaign promise, but Sata has categorically refused to honour his words.
Early this year, the Prime Minister of the Barotse Royal Establishment resigned his position after conflicts with the Litunga (King), who has been accused of siding with the government on the Barotseland Agreement.
The former Prime Minister Clement Sinyinda, who served as deputy minister of education under the MMD government faces jail after he was arrested and cautioned for allegedly organizing riots, hiding fire arms and leaking secret about the Barotse Royal Establishment to outsiders.
Politically, Northern Province is a Patrotic Front (PF) stronghold, although economically, Michael Sata’s PF government is yet to make any footprint.
The post Sata Triggers Standoff with Bemba Chiefs appeared first on Zambia Reports.