Maravi

Kapata warns politicking traditional leaders

Kapata warns politicking traditional leaders
By Ernest Chanda
Thu 12 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT

MANDEVU PF member of parliament Jean Kapata on Tuesday warned traditional leaders who support political parties that they place themselves in the political firing range.

Debating estimates of expenditure for the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, Kapata said such chiefs should not complain when their subjects begin to hit back. She said it was sad that certain chiefs chose to be paraded at political rallies and were made to make certain pronouncements in favour of a particular political party.

“Much as it is our tradition to respect chiefs, we should also admit that our chiefs have become political. They are now siding with particular political parties. Let me warn them that they have put themselves in the firing range. And because they have put themselves in the firing range political bullets will start hitting them," Kapata warned.

"I'm Lunda, and I want to thank the Lunda Cultural Association who, so far, have not taken sides in the Solwezi by-election. All our traditional leaders did was issue a statement where they warned their colleagues to desist from taking political sides. For this, I want to thank the Lunda Cultural Association. They have not sided with any political party in the Solwezi by-election and this is how it should be."
Kapata said people were now too enlightened to allow chiefs to make political decisions for them.

“We have seen our colleagues on the right Executive's side parade chiefs at political rallies. This is a very bad practice and I want to warn those chiefs that they no longer have political influence over their people. People have now woken up and they make their own political decisions," said Kapata.
Monze UPND member of parliament Jack Mwiimbu warned that subjects who were attacked by chiefs had a right to respond.

"I wouldn't like to talk much about chiefs because we are all agreeable here that chiefs deserve our respect. But if you start abusing chiefs by parading them and making them make certain pronouncements against political parties and individuals, those individuals have a right to reply," Mwiimbu said.

"And please don't blame them when they react. We know that our colleagues MMD have a tendency of parading chiefs and forcing them to make certain pronouncements. This is very bad for our traditional leaders."

But Chiengi MMD member of parliament Katele Kalumba accused the opposition of playing double standards.

The emotionally charged Kalumba warned that the Bwile people of Chiengi were fighters who fought the colonialists.

"I want to remind Honourable Kapata that the business of ruling people is political. Chiefs rule and that in itself is political. Therefore, chiefs too have a right to see in their system of governance what is good for their people. And for some of you if you expect that the Bwile people will support you then you've got it wrong. We are fighters in that area, we fought the colonialists and we will fight you," warned Kalumba.

"One political party has for some time enjoyed the support of these same chiefs. And when they shift their support you begin to complain, shame on you! This is playing double standards. I will repeat the old dictum that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. We will not sit by and look at you abuse our chiefs whom we respect so much."

Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, CHIEFS, JEAN KAPATA, POLITICS

posted by MrK @ 8:43 AM