Govt has no plans to create new chiefdoms, says Banda

Govt has no plans to create new chiefdoms, says Banda
Written by Christopher Miti in Chipata
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 4:07:25 AM

EASTERN Province minister Isaac Banda has said government has no plans of creating new chiefdoms. In an interview, Banda said it was illegal for any area which had not been established or gazetted to come up with a notion that they were a chiefdom.

"According to government’s recognised position, we don't need to create any more chiefdoms, the only chiefdoms that we recognise are those that were formulated during the colonial era as of now we have no intentions of creating more chiefdoms," Banda said.

He said the position of the government was that it could not promote any chief to a higher position.

“As of now the stand of government is that those recognised positions are going to be static the way they are because by bringing these issues of formulating chiefdoms, a lot of things will come up and then we are going to open up a Pandora's box and hence bring in some civil war so these are the things that we want to curb off,î Banda said.

He urged the people not to draw themselves into wrangles that could hamper development.

"What we need is collective responsibility. Each one of us should actually be responsible, make sure that we support the chiefs that are already established rather than trying to create some more chiefdoms or probably revisit the chiefdoms which were expired by the colonial rule," said Banda.

Recently, police in Chipata arrested Friday Mwale for masquerading as chief Tindi of the Kunda people in Mambwe district, a chiefdom that was abolished by the colonial government in 1948.

Mwale has since been charged with impersonation.

About 17 Mambwe residents who were supporting Mwale are appearing in court for, among other things, assaulting one of the police officers that were sent to pick up Mwale after he jumped bail.

But police later rearrested Mwale in the outskirts of Lusaka.