No one can intimidate Mpezeni, says MMD official

No one can intimidate Mpezeni, says MMD official
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Mon 30 Jan. 2012, 14:01 CAT

THE MMD in Eastern Province says it is against the idea of parading traditional leaders for purposes of achieving political objectives. And the MMD says there is no one in the Ngoniland and beyond who can intimidate Paramount chief Mpezeni.

Reacting to President Michael Sata's sentiments that senior chief Nzamane and chief Madzimawe were intimidating the paramount chief after he supported calls for the removal of former president Rupiah Banda's immunity, MMD provincial information and publicity secretary Joseph Banda said it was not possible for anyone to intimidate Mpezeni going by his enormous powers.

"As MMD, we are very disappointed with the statements attributed to His Excellency the President. He was talking about some chiefs in the province as intimidating Inkosi ya Mankosi but at the same time when he was condemning the alleged intimidation of Inkosi ya Mankosi, he himself is now intimidating the other two chiefs. We expect the Republican President to be the peacemaker. He is not President of PF alone but for all Zambians," Banda said.

Banda also condemned what he called the politicisation of the Ngoni traditional leadership.

He said politicians must keep away from traditional issues.

"It would appear to us that the PF has an agenda of pushing a divide-and-rule process in the Ngoni kingdom and that is not good. It is immoral for any politician to try and divide our amakosis (chiefs) for political expediency," Banda said.

He said the MMD was against the idea of parading traditional leaders for the purpose of achieving political objectives.

"We know that traditional leaders are supposed to render support to the government of the day but that does not mean that our traditional leaders must be paraded to champion the cause of PF. We condemn the idea of parading our traditional leaders to champion political objectives. We condemn the idea of intimidating traditional leaders for political expediency by anybody," Banda said.

He said traditional leaders had powers handed down from their ancestors.

"Politicians must keep away from traditional leaders or maybe I must say, hands off the descendants of Zwangendaba, hands the descendants of ka Hlatshayo, hands of the descendants of ka Lonyanda, hands the descendants of ka Luvuno. The Zambian government has just been established and the authority of our traditional leaders comes from a long way," Banda said.

He said the Ngoniland had enough wisdom to resolve its own problems.

"What is it that makes the PF government think that Eastern Province is a cheap place? Can President Sata say the same about chiefs in Northern Province? Can he talk of dethroning them? Is it possible? Can he talk of dethroning Paramount Chief Chitimukulu or even the Mwata? Our traditional leaders are not cheap and they must be respected," Banda said.

Following President Sata's statement, police officers have been deployed at Mpezeni's palace to protect him.