Maravi

Nalubamba, Macha deny endorsing Rupiah

Nalubamba, Macha deny endorsing Rupiah
By Edwin Mbulo in Choma
Tue 26 Apr. 2011, 04:01 CAT

CHIEFS of Southern Province did not meet to endorse President Rupiah Banda at the Mazabuka April 19 chiefs' meeting, says chief Bright Nalubamba. Chief Nalubamba of the Ila people of Namwala district said chief Mukuni should not deepen the misunderstanding between chiefs and the government in Southern Province.

“The story in the Daily Mail of Saturday is very unfortunate because the meeting of the Royal Foundation of Zambia was a consultative meeting. There is no way the chairman chief Mukuni could issue a press statement in Livingstone over what was not resolved,” chief Nalubamba said.

He said attempts to convene a meeting for all the chiefs through chief Macha the night before the consultative meeting was not held as the chiefs could not trace chief Mukuni's whereabouts.

“We tried to call him on the 18th but it seems he was busy with other things. During the meeting, the permanent secretary invited chief Mukuni to give opening remarks and uttered words we were not in support of and on the agenda there was an item of a closed door meeting and as chiefs we had planned to question chief Mukuni in the presence of the President over what he had said, but that was not to be,” chief Nalubamba said.

He said chief Mukuni said what he said without shame because that was not the resolve of all of the chiefs but his personal views.

“My advice is that let chief Mukuni stop reducing the President in the eyes of the chiefs. Our meeting in Mazabuka was full of nonsense and we were not offered an opportunity to meet the President as stated on the agenda,” chief Nalubamba said.

He said attempts to meet chief Mukuni on the morning of 19th April could not yield anything as he was reportedly busy having documents typed.

“He came in a few minutes before the President. He should not deepen the misunderstanding between chiefs and the government,” chief Nalubamba said “Why meet at the residence of the Permanent Secretary [where the press statement was issued? What is going on? If we had met as chiefs and it was resolved that we endorse President Banda, I would be telling you that we did as there would be nothing to hide.”

Chief Nalubamba said in 2008, chiefs in Southern Province endorsed President Banda on the premise that the MMD’s mandate should not be disturbed due to the untimely death of President Levy Mwanawasa.

“This should not be linked to our resolve for the 2008 elections as we wanted to save taxpayers' money. This year’s elections are tripartite and we should allow all political parties to seek mandate from the people,” said chief Nalubamba.

And chief Macha of Choma district said at no time did the 41 chiefs from Southern Province ever meet to discuss the endorsement of President Banda.

Chief Macha said the chiefs' meeting was at the invitation of the government but the chiefs got surprised when it was said that they had requested for the conference.

“At no time did we ever meet to discuss the endorsement of President Rupiah Banda. There were three or four chiefs who were coming up with suggestions but we said that we should wait until we all gathered so that we could agree or disagree, and that was never held,” said chief Macha.

He said it would be unfair for the chiefs to take a political stance by endorsing a political party as the traditional leaders were supposed to be non-partisan.

“It was not a question of endorsement. Chief Mukuni is the man who got the documents typed in his capacity as chairperson of the Royal Foundation of Chiefs but we did not meet to discuss the issue,” he said.

Chief Macha said during the conference, chief Mwanachingwala gave a vote of thanks and said that the 2008 resolutions still stood.

“We were in a conference and chief Mwanachingwala said that in his vote of thanks. Because we were in his chiefdom and we could not start arguing, he said what he said in his personal capacity and not as a resolution. Chief Mukuni spoke and said what he said but who told him? I was there. And if you ask any other chief, you will be told that there was no meeting to discuss the endorsement of RB,” chief Macha said.

He said chiefs were supposed to be principled and should speak exactly what was said. Chief Macha said there was no assurance that all the chiefs in the province belonged to one particular political.

“It is very unfair to the other political parties. We are supposed to be non-partisan. So take it from me that at no time did the 41 chiefs meet to discuss the endorsement, those who spoke highlighted the developments that are taking place in their areas,” chief Macha said.

And Southern Province PF chairman Joseph Akafumba said the stance taken by the provincial permanent secretary Gladys Kristafor to turn a government house into an MMD command centre should be condemned.

“She is a civil servant but we have seen that of late she is an MMD cadre who was even distributing MMD chitenge material in Mazabuka. She has now even turned a government house into a command centre where chief Mukuni endorsed President Banda,” Akafumba said.

He asked what chief Mukuni would do when President Banda lost this year’s elections.

“The man is going out of office and what will the chief do? It is lowering the chiefs' integrity if the chiefs did what chief Mukuni is saying,” Akafumba said.

Chief Mukuni was quoted in Friday’s Daily Mail as saying that chiefs in Southern Province, at the April 19 2011 chiefs' conference in Mazabuka, upheld their 2008 resolutions to support President Banda for the forthcoming tripartite elections.

Labels: BRIGHT NALUBAMBA, CHIEF MACHA, CHIEF MUKUNI

posted by MrK @ 1:49 PM