PF urges Mbala chiefs not to be partisan

PF urges Mbala chiefs not to be partisan
By Ernest Chanda
Wed 11 May 2011, 04:00 CAT

THE Mpulungu Patriotic Front leadership says chiefs in Mbala should stop parading themselves before television cameras in support of the MMD government.

Commenting on chief Zombe of the Lungu people who last Friday evening appeared on ZNBC’s main news, claiming that he had chased Dr Mbita Chitala when the latter went to campaign for PF in the Mambwe/Lungu area, Mpulungu district PF chairman Robertson Thala said the conduct by some traditional leaders was embarrassing.

“We respect our traditional leaders here in Mpulungu and Mbala. But we do not like the manner in which they are allowing themselves to be paraded by politicians to support MMD. This is very embarrassing to our chiefs because they are lowering themselves below their subjects,” Nthala said. “We know that according to our laws they have a right to have an opinion or support a particular political party.

But they should keep this to themselves because of the nature of their respectable positions in our society. It is a shame to see our chiefs taking positions of cadres. I’m therefore asking our royal highnesses to protect their integrity by keeping away from partisan politics.”

Nthala said it was not possible that chiefs could compel their subjects to vote for the MMD government at a time when they were resolved on changing government.
He said no matter how much chief Zombe and others paraded themselves, they would not destroy the PF in the two districts.

On Friday last week, chief Zombe claimed that he chased Dr Chitala from the palace because he could not agree with his support for the opposition PF.
Chief Zombe took along with him chiefs Tafuna and Fwambo to denounce Dr Chitala when in fact he had a cordial meeting with the latter at his palace, which took almost two hours.