KK warns against land disputes

KK warns against land disputes
By Brighton Phiri, Lambwe Kachali and Kelvin Tembo
Wednesday June 18, 2008 [04:00]

DR Kenneth Kaunda yesterday warned that the land dispute between chief Shakumbila and chieftainess Nkomeshya can explode into life-threatening violence if the government delays in resolving it. Commenting on the land dispute between senior chief Shakumbila of the Sala people of Mumbwa district and chieftainess Nkomeshya of the Soli people over their boundary, which has resulted into an exchange of threats of violence, Dr Kaunda said the dispute between the two traditional leaders had the potential to explode into a situation where Zambians would abandon their uniting motto of "One Zambia, One Nation".

"I have read what chief Shakumbila and chieftainess Nkomeshya have said. It is an entry into separation between the two ethnic groups that have lived in harmony," Dr Kaunda said. "This is what can bring about an explosive situation that will move us away from our One Zambia, One Nation. We must avoid it."

Dr Kaunda appealed to chief Shakumbila and chieftainess Nkomeshya to avoid issuing threats against each other as their statements had the potential to incite their respective subjects.

"My greatest plea to my chiefs is that they should quickly reach out to the responsible ministers such as the provincial minister and local government minister to address their concerns instead of issuing threats," Dr Kaunda said.

And addressing headmen and subjects on Monday afternoon in Mwembeshi, chief Shakumbila charged that chieftainess Nkomeshya was an idiot who had started a fire that she would never extinguish. Chief Shakumbila urged his people to get ready for war with chieftainess Nkomeshya.

He said he would not accept any nonsense from chieftainess Nkomeshya and her people. Chief Shakumbila said it was unfortunate that chieftainess Nkomeshya had decided to go ahead and claim part of his chiefdom. He said although he was a law abiding traditional leader, he was ready to break the law.

"It is unfortunate for Nkomeshya to continue maintaining her stance. I am reliably informed that today Monday morning; she gave a statement or report that she is ready to fight me. She is ready for bloodshed. Is that good? Is that good? Now my message to her is this; from this time where the sun is, I am more than prepared for her. Any form she wants to meet me, if it means in the air, if it means in water, if it means underground, day or night, I am ready to fight," chief Shakumbila vowed.

He bragged that he had fought many battles and challenges in life and had never lost any. Chief Shakumbila, whose subjects demonstrated how ready they were to go to war by waving their spears in the air, said although he had a lot of respect for chieftainess Nkomeshya, he had now lost it.

He ordered his people to beat up any Soli that would be found causing confusion in his chiefdom.
"Nkomeshya must be told and should know that she is on a journey which she will never complete. I am not a coward. She must go and ask the type of a person she is trying to touch. She is nothing to me. It's water to drink. I am not even worried about her. If there are no men in her chiefdom to marry her, let her come here and we will marry her.

That's been stupid. Huu! Avulamalweza she is cursed. Where are the Salas? There is a saying that when you are stirring the soup of a Sala, don't go in the middle because it will steam on your hands. It is actually powder of the groundnut. I want to ignite the fire. Today, I am leaving the buttons on. Everyone (Soli) you see hovering around here please beat them up. I am very much prepared to face the law. I have been too obedient," he said.
Chief Shakumbila said it was sad that chieftainess Nkomeshya had failed to accept that the boundary was at the railway line.

"People of God please we wanted to die with that good word in our mouths. We didn't want to insult people at public platform like this one. Nkomeshya is like my mother. I should have been calling her mother whenever I meet her. But now, she has started a war that will never end, and that I will never give her any respect again. My warning to her is that she must go and shut up. She is very stupid, she is a devil, an idiot, and she should go to hell. Tell her that I have insulted her. I have prepared my army and my Impis. We shall fight up to the bitter end. I am ready to go to Mukobeko prison," chief Shakumbila said.
He further ordered the eviction of nine headmen and many other subjects believed to be Soli from his chiefdom.

Among those to leave his chiefdom include, headman Sijoobo, Mukuni, Shamakaba, Shachindalo, Mwanjeleka and Shakunkuma.

"All these should leave and go to Nkomeshya's land. But for Solis who are not problematic, we will have no problems with them to stay here. I will even continue to appoint them as headmen," said chief Shakumbila.

But Soli Cultural Association (SOCA) president Charles Mwambi said Solis were ready to fight chief Shakumbila to the bitter end at Mwembeshi River and not at the railway line.

In an interview on Monday in Chongwe, Mwambi said Solis were not claiming land on the western side of the Mwembeshi River but that on the eastern side.
"We are ready to shed blood over that land and Shakumbila has no moral right to prevent me from visiting my subjects in her chiefdom which extends up to Mwembeshi River," Mwambi said.

He said SOCA had advised chieftainess Nkomeshya not to respond any further to Shakumbila's utterances because they were baseless. Mwambi warned that whatever would happen to chieftainess Nkomeshya's life, chief Shakumbila would be held responsible.

Later on Monday, scores of women marched to chieftainess Nkomeshya's palace to show solidarity over her stance on the boundary dispute.

Chieftainess Nkomeshya, when addressing the women, said the Surveyor General Danny Mubanga had no right to address her as "that woman" because she was not his girlfriend.
She said the fight between her and chief Shakumbila had been caused by Mubanga as he had failed to give guidance on the maps.

"How can he say he has had enough of me, am I his girlfriend?" the visibly annoyed chieftainess Nkomeshya questioned.

She maintained that Mubanga was a corrupt man and that she would not change her stance. She said her people had buried their relatives there and they could not be removed now.

Chieftainess Nkomeshya wondered if people would be made to dig up the remains of their relatives and bury them elsewhere.

And Lusaka Province minister Lameck Mangani advised the two chiefs to desist from issuing death threats, saying it was a crime.

Mangani said when the meeting for permanent secretaries for Central and Lusaka provinces was held, the Surveyor General and the two chief ended inconclusively, he was not told that the Surveyor General sat again and resolved the boundary wrangle.
Mangani said there was still a problem with the 1958 map because a lot of features in Lusaka Province had changed.

He warned that the government would not tolerate death threats because they threatened the country's peace and security.

"My appeal to the two chiefs is that the matter will soon be resolved but there should be no chief to evict people from the other tribe. As Zambians, we are one and can stay anywhere we want. And they should also stop insulting each other through the press," he said.

Mangani also directed that no investors should be allowed to prospect for investment in both chief Shakumbila and chieftainess Nkomeshya's areas until the dispute was resolved.

When contacted, home affairs minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha referred all queries to local government minister Sylvia Masebo.

Lt Gen Shikapwasha said Masebo was in charge of all chiefs' affairs including security.
"She is in-charge of chiefs' affairs, she knows how she is going to handle that matter," Lt Gen Shikapwasha said.

Lands minister Bradford Machila also declined to comment but said he would resolve the wrangles diplomatically without involving the media.