Crowd boos minister for giving ‘long’ speech at Umutomboko

Crowd boos minister for giving ‘long’ speech at Umutomboko
By Mwala Kalaluka in Mansa
Monday July 28, 2008 [04:00]

A crowd of impatient Umutomboko ceremony spectators on Saturday booed mines minister Dr Kalombo Mwansa for delivering a ‘long’ speech during the event held in Mwansabombwe. And Barclays Bank managing director for Zambia and southern Africa, Zafar Masud said the closure of the bank's Mansa Branch four years ago was a big mistake.

Dr Mwansa officiated at this year's Umutomboko ceremony but his close to 30-minutes address, after the Mwata Kazembe's speech, incensed a crowd of local tourists that had converged to witness the climax of the traditional ceremony at the main arena in Mwansabombwe.

As Dr Mwansa outlined some of the development programmes that the government had earmarked for Luapula Province, especially in the mining and tourism sectors, the irate group started shouting: "Awe fyafula, Iwe fyafula No! It is enough, you it is too much."

But Dr Mwansa was undeterred and he said the government was committed to forging a good working relationship with traditional leaders in the country.

He further expressed gratification that the Lunda king from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)'s Kola, Mwata Yamva had made a historical appearance at the 2008 Umutomboko, which marked 10 years of the current Mwata Kazembe, Mpemba Kanyembo's coronation.

Dr Mwansa said the ceremony was an important event because it gives, not only Lundas, but most Zambians, an opportunity to retrace their origins.

However, the crowd that was following the proceedings from the right side of the VIP tent was far from being amused by the long oratory and they urged Dr Mwansa to end his speech.

Some police officers moved close to the group as some of them started uttering ill remarks, while others from the far end of the crowd started throwing some objects in the direction of the VIP tent.

When Dr Mwansa ended his address, the group applauded him.
However, the DRC's Katanga Province Governor, Moses Katumbi, received a thunderous ovation whenever he flushed out United States Dollar notes as an expression of appreciation for the good dances displayed during the event.

Katumbi, who was usually in the company of MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba, generously gave out the dollars to appreciate the dances, which culminated into the Mwata's Umutomboko dance.
Katumbi chartered three helicopters to ferry him and the Mwata Yamwa from the DRC into Mwansabombwe.

The Umutomboko ceremony ended around 18:00 hours after a six-minute dance performance by the Mwata Kazembe.
And speaking at the official launch of a Barclays Bank branch in Mansa yesterday, Masud said he had taken the trouble to officiate at the event as a way of expressing his desire to make up for the earlier mistake of closing the previous branch.

"I would like to recognise the fact that I had the pleasure of meeting the Mwata and he extended all the commitment that will enable us to grow in this province," he said.

Masud said Mwata Kazembe assured him that he would move his personal and the Lunda kingdom accounts to Barclays Bank.
The Mwata Kazembe had also asked the bank to extend its services to the three districts in his kingdom when Masud paid a courtesy call on him at his palace in Mwansabombwe on Saturday.

Masud said the bank would be seriously involved in promoting Luapula Province's business and economic potential.

Provincial minister Chrispin Musosha commended Barclays Bank for helping to improve the banking and saving culture in Zambia.
Musosha said banks should not just lure people to save with them but also assist them to grow their businesses.