Maravi

Chieftainess Nkomeshya

Chieftainess Nkomeshya
By The Post
Sun 04 Sep. 2011, 13:00 CAT

SOME of our chiefs, our traditional rulers, have sold out to colonialists, to corrupt and tyrannical regimes, been hired by colonialists and corrupt politicians, or surrendered themselves to evil regimes, but chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II has served notice on them that she is not for hire, that she will never hire herself out, sell out.

It is extremely pleasing to see chieftainess Nkomeshya take that position when many of our chiefs have hired themselves out, have sold themselves out to corrupt politicians abusing their offices and public resources. How many chiefs have we seen or read about endorsing Rupiah Banda's presidential candidature against the wishes of the great majority of our people?

Take for instance our chiefs in Southern Province - with the outstanding exception of the great Bright Nalubamba, the senior chief of the Illa people of Namwala and a few others, who have always stood on the side of their people, defending their people's interest and dignity who - have been on the side of Rupiah when their people are on the other.

The great majority of their people have voted for someone else other than Rupiah. Who are these chiefs representing? Who are they speaking for? Who do they listen to? We even have chiefs in other areas of our country who have looked the other way when their subjects are being slaughtered by a reckless and extremely intolerant regime. Again, who do these chiefs represent?

Chieftainess Nkomeshya has set an example of what our people should expect from their chiefs. There was an attempt to corrupt her with gifts of money. She refused and told them to go away.

This is not a small feat in a country where money has started to mean everything, where people in power boast that everyone has a price.

Today, chieftainess Nkomeshya is an example of what we would like our chiefs to be. She is teaching us a sense of perspective and priority as we struggle to change what we can change and accept what could not be changed.

Chieftainess Nkomeshya is also teaching us the importance of incorruptibility as part of the essence of self respect. While appreciating the opportunities to enjoy a good life, she is showing us the need to refuse to use our positions to get ourselves anything that isn't our due.

And her self confidence, her sense of strength and identity is something we should all cherish.

Our Constitution gives recognition to the institution of chiefs. The position chieftainess Nkomeshya occupies is a constitutionally recognised one. Of course Article 129 of our Constitution stops a chief from joining or participating in partisan politics.

But this does not take away a chief's right to participate in the shaping of the destiny of her or his people without fear of reprisal. Chieftainess Nkomeshya has legitimately complained about the lack of development in her chiefdom.

This is not partisan politics. She has every right to meaningfully participate in raising the living standards of her people. Otherwise, what type of a parent, a mother would she be - one who doesn't care about the welfare of her children?

Chieftainess Nkomeshya has taught us what leadership means. She has clearly shown us that obligations to her people, to her subjects take precedence over loyalty to a politician, whatever position he may hold or whatever resources he may control.

We all saw how this position earned her the hatred, anger of Rupiah and his league. She was denounced in all sorts of ways. She was even accused of lying about lack of development in her chiefdom because there was lots of it taken there by Rupiah.

They tried in all sorts of ways to denounce and humiliate her. For what? The only conclusion we can draw from all these attacks against chieftainess Nkomeshya is that her genuine goodness, her independence of thought and action, is threatening to those at the opposite end of the moral spectrum.

This is not the type of chiefs these people like. The type of chiefs they like are those they bribe with money, automobiles and all sorts of other gifts to endorse them and urge their people to vote for them.

Those who support them, no matter how much they engage in active politics in their support, are not seen to be partisan. For a chief to support Rupiah is not partisan but for a chief to support any other politician is partisan.

But it shouldn't be forgotten that the institution of chief is there to serve the common good of the community. The common good is the reason for the existence of chiefs.

And the common good cause upon chiefs to contribute and commit themselves responsibly to building a peaceful and just society for all and when a system ceases to promote the common good, chiefs must not hesitate to denounce it and repudiate it. They must also be prepared to support and work with another system that is more just, fair and humane.

This is not a violation of the Constitution. It would actually be irresponsible for chiefs to look the other way when their people have serious challenges. It would be irresponsible for chiefs to fail to give correct guidance on what should be done, on which way to go when there are challenges.

We say this because our chiefs have both the right and the duty to participate fully in building a just, fair, humane and peaceful society with all the means at their disposal. A traditional authority is not fully rooted among its people if it does not try to establish justice.

We think this should serve as a lesson to Rupiah and all our politicians that not all our chiefs are for hire, for abuse, for corrupting. And that public servant, Ernest Mupwaya, the managing director of Zesco, should be ashamed of his role in all this.

Why has he accepted or hired himself out to do political work for Rupiah; to try and bribe chieftainess Nkomeshya and make her support Rupiah? With Mupwaya's behaviour, it is not difficult to understand why Zesco and its resources are being abused by the ruling MMD in its election campaigns.

There is need to stand up for what is right even if this may cost us our positions, our jobs. Let us not forget that there are people who take cruel advantage of the poor and needy; that is the way they make their living (Proverbs 30:14).

Let us also not forget that we all have a biblical duty to "speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves. Protect the rights of all who are helpless. Speak for them and be a righteous judge. Protect the rights of the poor and needy" (Proverbs 31:8-9).

Labels: BRIBERY, CHIEFS, CHIEFTIANESS NKOMESHYA, EDITH NAWAKWI, MMD

posted by MrK @ 4:21 PM