Maravi

Nkomeshya faces dethronement

Nkomeshya faces dethronement
By Ernest Chanda in Chongwe and Bright Mukwasa in Lusaka
Mon 05 Sep. 2011, 14:00 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has threatened to remove Senior Chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II of the Soli people in Chongwe district if he wins this year's election. And ADD leader Charles Milupi says President Rupiah Banda's misconduct and utterances against chieftainess Nkomeshya seriously raise the question of his nationality.

Addressing a rally in Chongwe on Saturday, President Banda accused chieftainess Nkomeshya of intimidating sub-chiefs and village headmen.

His threats follow chieftainess Nkomeshya's refusal of a request by President Banda through his emissaries, Dr Chigunta from State House and Zesco managing director, Ernest Mupwaya for a courtesy call on her on Saturday before his scheduled public rally in Chongwe.

The senior traditional leader even rejected an attempt by the duo to leave an undisclosed ‘present' which they had prepared for her from President Banda.
From the time chieftainess Nkomeshya complained of underdevelopment in her chiefdom about three months ago, she has received incessant attacks from President Banda and several government agents.

"I am told that our headmen in Chongwe are being threatened with being removed as headmen. I want to warn my good sister Chongwe PF parliamentary candidate Sylvia Masebo and my good chief here chieftainess Nkomeshya that all these people don't belong to anyone as their people; they belong to God. The power to protect every Zambian lies in the hands of the President. I want to make a public warning; if she victimises any chief, any headman... she will face the wrath of the law," said President Banda.

"That is why our vote is secret. So I want to conclude here by saying, just go and vote for Mwakalombe if you want him; don't listen to any of those people.

Sylvia Masebo was member of parliament for many years because of your vote, because of you. So she must respect you, the chief must respect you, or else, 20th September, retirement."

Earlier, the rally which was supposed to start at 10:00 hours as advertised in the Times of Zambia, only started about 15:45 hours because MMD sympathisers were still transporting people from Lusaka in trucks, and buses belonging to Capital Buses, commonly known as Flash Buses.

The MMD cadres arrived in the area as early as 04:00 hours and started removing opposition campaign posters from the main street and private houses.
As they waited for President Banda in the morning, the cadres feted themselves with beer and roast meat.

By the time the rally started, the majority of the cadres were drunk and they continued removing PF leader Michael Sata and Masebo's posters wherever they found them.

The cadres, led by Lusaka provincial chairman William Banda attacked and brutally beat up residents of Waterfalls area in full view of police officers after they refused to remove PF campaign posters.

And Milupi, the Alliance for Democracy and Development's presidential candidate in the September 20 polls, said President Banda conduct towards the Soli traditional leadership was regrettable.

"It raises the question if he's even a Zambian; we know he was born in Zimbabwe. Now there‘s a question mark that even his parents were not born here. Now for him to start, when there's still that question mark, to come and start threatening our own traditional leaders, I as a traditional person wherever I come from am subservient to a chief like her.

For him to come and threaten, not only Zambians, but to threaten a chief, we are saying this is what brings into question as to whether this person is a real Zambian or not," Milupi said.
"Any Zambian would understand that you do not threaten chiefs.

That chief has no army, has no police all they have is a moral authority that's given to them by their own people. He has no right whatsoever to threaten her and also I am urging the people of Zambia specifically the people of Chongwe, everyone of them must make sure they don't vote for this person because he has threatened their chief."

On Friday, chieftainess Nkomeshya said she would not meet President Banda because she had been unfairly denounced and her name brought into ridicule by both the government and MMD agents for merely asking for development in her area.

Milupi condemned President Banda for blackmailing chieftainess Nkomeshya and openly disrespecting her.

"That should be a message to all Zambians to makes sure that he does not win this year's election so that we can continue with brave chieftainess Nkomeshya and similar chiefs like herself. The ones (traditional leaders) who kowtow the MMD, talk about development which is not there, those are a disgrace to the traditional hierarchy.

I urge her to keep on with her spirit but above that, I urge all Zambians regardless of which tribe they are to rise and defend chieftainess Nkomeshya and make sure that no harm either physical, spiritual or moral comes to her as a result of these disgruntled people who have failed to run this country," said Milupi.

"Where I am going now in Liuwa, we shall also make sure that here in Western Province we don't vote for him because we believe in traditional authority, we respect our chiefs. Anyone who insults, threatens our chief anywhere is not worthy of the support of Zambians. Other political parties must rise and condemn him for that unwarranted attack on an innocent chieftainess Nkomeshya."

Milupi urged other chiefs to emulate chieftainess Nkomeshya by being brave enough and speaking out on behalf of their people.

"Chieftainess Nkomeshya epitomises what a leader should be, especially as a traditional leader. She is brave, she's articulate, and she has come out very, very clearly to indicate not only what is happening in her chiefdom but what is happening in other chiefdoms. There's no development in this country; that's why we are the poorest in this region."

Labels: CHIEFS, CHIEFTIANESS NKOMESHYA, RUPIAH BANDA, SYLVIA MASEBO

posted by MrK @ 6:05 PM