Maravi

SADC chiefs oppose Gaddafi’s King of Kings establishment

SADC chiefs oppose Gaddafi’s King of Kings establishment
Written by Kingsley Kaswende in Harare, Zimbabwe
Thursday, October 01, 2009 1:06:45 AM

CHIEFS from Southern Africa have said they will not be part of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's King of Kings establishment that seeks to unite continental chiefs under his leadership.

The SADC House of Chiefs that had a meeting in Harare on Monday resolved that regional chiefs will not be subjects of Col Gaddafi's proposition, arguing that a traditional leader could not be subordinate to another African leader.

"We have resolved that we will not be part and parcel of President Gaddafi forum. Chiefs are born not made, so this business of having a dynasty of the United States of Africa will undermine our role and strength," said chief Fhumulani Kutama, the interim chairperson of Kothla, which is the regional House of Chiefs.

Chief Kutama said the chiefs from the SADC region would not lend their support to Col Gadaffi's project, which he said had already been dismissed by some African heads of state and government.

Chief Kutama said the regional House of Chiefs had a critical role of assisting governments in conflict resolution in the region as most communities highly respect their traditional leaders.

"As traditional leaders, we play a key role in conflict resolution programmes," he said.

Chief Kutama said the idea was tabled when traditional leaders attended the Libyan 40th independence anniversary commemorations last month but that there was consensus that the idea should not be accepted as it would undermine the institution of chiefs.

More than 200 African kings and traditional rulers met in Libya for that meeting, the first one of its kind.

Col Gaddafi has a vision of merging African leaders' powers to create a single government but most African leaders are lukewarm about his vision.

His vision for the United States of Africa also came under the regional chiefs' spotlight on Monday.

At last month's meeting, Col Gaddafi urged the traditional leaders to join his campaign for African unity.

Traditional leaders from the DRC, Lesotho, South Africa, Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe attended the meeting in Harare.

Labels: MUAMMAR AL-GADDAFI, SADC

posted by MrK @ 12:07 AM