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Traditional ceremonies are a unifying factor – Rupiah

Traditional ceremonies are a unifying factor – Rupiah
By Chibaula Silwamba
Mon 02 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT

TRADITIONAL ceremonies are a unifying factor in Zambia, President Rupiah Banda has said. And senior chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II has urged the government to increase the number of fertiliser given to small scale farmers and upgrade Chalimbana Teacher in-service training College into a university.

Speaking at the Chakwela Makumbi traditional ceremony of the Soli people in Chongwe on Saturday, President Banda said traditional ceremonies bring people from all walks of life together.

“We should be proud of this heritage because culture is the means by which a people express itself through language, traditional wisdom, religion, art, music, tools, greetings, symbols, festivals, ethics, values and collective identity. Without culture, a community loses self-awareness and guidance, and grows weak and vulnerable,” President Banda said. “Our rich cultural heritage should also be used to promote national unity.

The challenge for the Soli people and indeed for all Zambians is to preserve cultural events like this one as they serve as important fora through which the community can learn and assimilate useful customs, values and attitudes.”

He said the government was committed to supporting traditional ceremonies because there could be no meaningful development without culture.
“The challenge for us is to harness the potential of these cultural activities to create jobs for our people especially in rural areas,” he said.

On agriculture, President Banda said the government would continue to subsidise the production of maize by paying up to 60 per cent of the cost under the farmer input support programme (FISP) for the province for the 2009/2010 farming season.

“I am, therefore, happy to note that Chongwe District has received 24,500 by 50 kilogramme of D Compound and 16,000 by 50 kilogramme of Urea. Within the next few days, seed should arrive in Chongwe in readiness for the planting season,” he said.

“The government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, has also established mobile depots so that our farmers do not travel long distances to sell their products.”

He said soon the government would send motor bikes to all the district agricultural camp site officers to enable them to provide small-scale farmers with information on good farming practices.

On health, President Banda said the government with the aid of the Korean government had allocated three ambulances and assorted medical equipment to Chongwe district to improve health service delivery.

On education and in reaction to chieftainess Nkomeshya, President Banda said the government would rehabilitate Chalimbana College.

“I agree with you, your royal highness, we have allocated a lot of money for this school, perhaps we should consider in our next budget to allocate money to repair this important institution of benefit to the whole of Zambia,” he said.

On roads, President Banda said the government had rehabilitated several roads in the district.

“As a custodian of our cultural heritage, I implore you to bring to the attention of your subjects issues pertaining to contemporary agricultural methods, girl child education, early marriages, HIV and AIDS, risky traditional practices such as sexual cleansing, spouse inheritance and spouse battering,” President Banda said.

President Banda commended paramount chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba people for traveling all the way to Chongwe despite his poor health, and other traditional rulers from various parts of Zambia.

Chakwela Makumbi, literary meaning gathering clouds to bring rains, is a ceremony where chieftainess Nkomeshya asks ancestral spirits to provide rains to her people.
And chieftainess Nkomeshya commended the government for the development projects in agriculture, health, education and others in the district.

She said Chalimbana Teachers Training College was being underutilized due to the removal of a number of courses.

“My appeal is that Chalimbana should be transformed into a university like our colleges,” chieftainess Nkomeshya said.

Earlier, chieftainess Nkomeshya thanked President Banda for agreeing to officiate at the Chakwela Makumbi traditional ceremony.

She also said late president Levy Mwanawasa was supportive to the ceremony when he was alive.

Giving a vote of thanks, Chongwe member of parliament Sylvia Masebo said President Banda’s speech “was not only inspiring, it was also encouraging” because he touched on most issues that were very dear to the people of Lusaka particularly on agriculture.

Labels: CEREMONIES, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 6:19 AM