Maravi

Chiwala opposes Lamba chiefs' demand for luxurious palaces

Chiwala opposes Lamba chiefs' demand for luxurious palaces
By Abigail Chaponda in Ndola
Fri 13 July 2012, 13:59 CAT

CHIEF Chiwala has opposed proposals by other Lamba chiefs that the government builds them luxurious palaces. Four Lima-Lamba chiefs on Saturday suggested during a meeting with provincial buildings department staff that they want to have swimming pools at the new palaces that the PF government is supposed to build for them.

President Michael Sata recently, during campaigns for the Chama North by-election, announced that the government would consider building houses for chiefs across the country.

Of the 15 chiefs in the province, chieftainess Malembeka, chieftainess Shimukunami, chief Nkana and chief Nkambo proposed during a meeting chaired by Copperbelt permanent secretary Christopher Mutembo that they wanted modern palaces that should be built at a neutral place.

"We want two-storey palaces, our new palaces should have four bedrooms each self-contained, and the master bedroom should be upstairs. We also want a court (tribunal) which should be 200 metres away from the palace," proposed chieftainess Malembeka as other chiefs agreed.

The chiefs also proposed that the palaces should have car parks and be fenced.
"We want chalets that are going to accommodate visiting chiefs. The chief's messengers should also have houses near the gate," proposed the chiefs.

Mutembo told officers from the building department that the plan for proposed palaces should be treated as a matter of urgency while the officers from the buildings department promised that the plan would be ready in two weeks' time.

But chief Chiwala said the government should only build palaces befitting a chief as opposed to luxurious houses that other Lamba chiefs were proposing.
He said it was good that President Sata had thought of chiefs but said his colleagues should not be suggesting extravagant things.

"Chiefs should have modern palaces yes, but not necessarily expensive ones. They should just be good palaces of course with a court, a guest wing things like that; not swimming pools and other extravagant things that our chiefs are proposing. It's unfortunate that I was not invited to the same meeting," he said.

Chief Chiwala said there was a lot of copper coming out of the province and asked the government to tell mining companies to extend their social responsibility programmes to building houses for chiefs on the Copperbelt.
"…We have to benefit from the copper that is being mined in our chiefdoms," said chief Chiwala.

Labels: CHIEFS, MICHAEL SATA

posted by MrK @ 2:09 PM