Letters - Chiefdoms
Dissolving chiefdomsBy Horrance Chilando, Lusaka.
Friday June 20, 2008 [04:00]
Allow me to comment on the statement made by the minister of local government regarding the dispute between their royal highnesses Shakumbila and Nkomesha. I am particularly alarmed by the threat made by the minister to dissolve the chiefdoms.
First, I think the minister overstepped her boundaries by assuming authority over such matters. I am alive to the fact that she may have been speaking from a legalistic point of view. In my view, even the same law pertaining to chieftaincies is archaic and was designed to subjugate traditional authority to colonial administration. The UNIP government maintained the status quo as it served their interests at the time.
The question I have is: how can an imposed system of government reign supreme over a people's governance system that has spanned centuries? The western governance system was not there prior to colonialism. The chiefdoms were the only system of governance that all Africans ever knew. I therefore find it very disrespectful and insulting for our legal system to subjugate our traditional leaders to political authority. In other countries like Nigeria, traditional leaders are respected.
But in our country, they are treated like school children. Where is our cultural and traditional identity? I personally do not think ministers or any political leader for that matter, should be above traditional authority. How can we define who we are, where we are coming from and where we are going? Laws are meant to regulate behaviour and how we relate to each other. In crafting our laws, therefore, we must take into account our cultural identity and not just follow what comes from places where such governance systems never existed.
I feel so sorry for our traditional leaders. It appears in Zambia, you can only become a chief if politicians who are ironically identified by the chiefdoms they hail from say so. I find this quite conflicting. The parallel governance system should be clearly redefined to reflect our historical past.
It is what defines us. It is what we are. In my view the minister should have used some diplomatic language and assure the two leaders of the government’s assistance in resolving the wrangle and not threatening them, as this will not solve the problem. Land issues are very serious and sensitive everywhere in the world and people have lost lives over the same. It is not a matter which should be glossed over.
I just wish to encourage our two traditional leaders to invoke the wisdom that made them who they are and find a peaceful solution to wrangle.
Labels: CHIEFS
posted by MrK @ 3:40 AM
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