Maravi

Puta, Mpezeni take govt to task over promise to tar road

Puta, Mpezeni take govt to task over promise to tar road
By Patson Chilemba in Chienge
Mon 08 Aug. 2011, 12:00 CAT

PARAMOUNT Chief Mpezeni and Senior Chief Puta say President Rupiah Banda’s government has not fulfilled their promises to tar the Kashikishi-Lunchinda road, with the latter threatening that MMD will only receive votes if they do so.

And in his speech during the Bwilile traditional ceremony, Luapula Province permanent secretary Stephen Bwalya simply repeated word for word Vice-President George Kunda’s speech read previously a week earlier at the Umutomboko Ceremony of Mwata Kazembe.

In an interview after the Ubwilile ceremony on Saturday, senior chief Puta of the Bwile people also said despite earlier confirming that he would officiate at the ceremony, President Banda missed the occasion because he was busy with the campaigns.

Chief Puta said the people of Chiengi wanted the over 120 kilometre road which covered a large part of Nchelenge, the whole Chiengi and Lunchinda tarred before the elections.

“What we want here is the road. If they bring the road we will give them the vote. Ngatakuli umusebo chikafyako ukweba abantu besu If they don’t, it will be difficult to convince our people to vote for them. Chienge has a very high number of registered voters,” he said.

During his welcome speech, chief Puta, through his representative Katele Kalumba also raised the issue.

“Your Excellency, if our major constraint of the untarred, ungraded Kashikishi-Lunchinda road was addressed by your government as was promised long ago, we would be much bigger players in the Zambian economic equation. We can be miners. We can be cattle farmers. We can be rattan exporters,” Kalumba read.

He said the people could be skilled artisans whose products could be marketed near and far and they could live longer because of reduced accidents on their roads.

“Put simply Sir, here is Chiengi, we have one development deficit that twists our intestines; umusebo, umusebo, umusebo. We know you can do it. We know it was nearly done. We know some people may have ill-advised,” read Kalumba.

“ We trust you can revisit the disappearnce of D79, Kashikishi-Lunchinda road in our Sixth National Development Plan. Given chance, I know you can remember our cry. Our message is very clear Your Excellency.”

Mpezeni of the Ngoni people of Eastern Province said he travelled on the same road and could attest that what chief Puta complained about was the truth.

He said the government should listen to chief Puta’s request.

“Afunika kuti abatandize government should help him,”said Mpezeni.

Chief Puta said this was a year of self-redefinition, saying his appeal to political parties participating in the campaigns was that he did not want violence.

“We respect ideas. We treasure debate. Tatulefwaya ukutucinga mufyakulanda. Maisosele. (we don’t want anyone blocking us from expressing ourselves. Everyone should be free to speak), because we value the freedom of self-expression, we see no room for insults and violence. Ideas and clear ideas. We want to listen to your manifestos not your insults,” said chief Puta.

“We want to know what you really believe in not lies. We are too intelligent to be lied to. Come with clearly thought ideas as political parties. We shall listen, analyse, strategise and vote.”

During the ceremony, outgoing Chiengi member of parliament and former MMD national secretary Kalumba was recognised as headman Natende Walushiba.

Kalumba said the position he had been given meant that he had now become more like a chief and advisor to all the chiefs in the Bwile traditional system.

He said although he was still a member of the MMD, he gave up politics some time ago.

Kalumba said because of traditional responsibilities he had to be a little less of political activist, saying tradition was the essence of his being and politics never defined who he was.

Kalumba’s wife, Lumba danced joyfully in celebrating her husband’s new found position conferred on him by chief Puta.

And Bwalya simply repeated what Vice-President Kunda read last week, including leading the people to observe a moment of silence in respect of late former president Frederick Chiluba.

Bwalya talked about the construction of Chiengi District Hospital, how women and youths were marginalised, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and some development projects government was undertaking in Luapula Province, as earlier read by Vice-President Kunda.

Labels: CHIEF MPEZENI, CHIEF PUTA, MMD, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 7:45 PM