Corruption fight needs everyone's input, says chief Macha
By Cynthia Phiri in Choma
Fri 13 Apr. 2012, 13:27 CAT
CORRUPTION fight should be everyone's business, says chief Macha of the Tonga of Choma district. Speaking when Choma district commissioner Golden Nyambe paid a courtesy call on him at his palace yesterday, chief Macha said he was humbled by the government's efforts in the fight.
"I am humbled to see government trying to fight corruption but it cannot be fought by government alone; it should be everyone's business," chief Macha said. "Corruption fight is a long journey; it needs a lot of effort because it cannot be won in one day, it needs everyone's input and good systems."
Chief Macha urged the government to put in place deliberate policies and a stronger legal framework in order to win the fight against corruption in the country.
The traditional leader said the law enforcement agencies must be empowered to visit anyone proved to have been corrupt regardless of their status in society.
"Government needs to put up precise systems that will catch up with corrupt elements in the country, because it seems like everyone is corrupt," said chief Macha.
He said systems needed to be put in place in order to manage corruption and that concerted efforts were needed to win the fight.
Chief Macha said that it was depressing to see how huge sums of money were being misappropriated.
He said he was happy with the PF government's stance on corruption and the way it was running the affairs of the nation.
And speaking at his palace, chief Mapanza said his chiefdom was ready to work with the government of the day.
He hoped that the PF government would take its developmental policies to his chiefdom.
"I can assure you that we are ready to bring peace and understanding even as the government addresses our many challenges," said Chief Mapanza.
Labels: CHIEF MACHA, CORRUPTION, PF
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Nalubamba, Macha deny endorsing Rupiah
By Edwin Mbulo in Choma
Tue 26 Apr. 2011, 04:01 CAT
CHIEFS of Southern Province did not meet to endorse President Rupiah Banda at the Mazabuka April 19 chiefs' meeting, says chief Bright Nalubamba. Chief Nalubamba of the Ila people of Namwala district said chief Mukuni should not deepen the misunderstanding between chiefs and the government in Southern Province.
“The story in the Daily Mail of Saturday is very unfortunate because the meeting of the Royal Foundation of Zambia was a consultative meeting. There is no way the chairman chief Mukuni could issue a press statement in Livingstone over what was not resolved,” chief Nalubamba said.
He said attempts to convene a meeting for all the chiefs through chief Macha the night before the consultative meeting was not held as the chiefs could not trace chief Mukuni's whereabouts.
“We tried to call him on the 18th but it seems he was busy with other things. During the meeting, the permanent secretary invited chief Mukuni to give opening remarks and uttered words we were not in support of and on the agenda there was an item of a closed door meeting and as chiefs we had planned to question chief Mukuni in the presence of the President over what he had said, but that was not to be,” chief Nalubamba said.
He said chief Mukuni said what he said without shame because that was not the resolve of all of the chiefs but his personal views.
“My advice is that let chief Mukuni stop reducing the President in the eyes of the chiefs. Our meeting in Mazabuka was full of nonsense and we were not offered an opportunity to meet the President as stated on the agenda,” chief Nalubamba said.
He said attempts to meet chief Mukuni on the morning of 19th April could not yield anything as he was reportedly busy having documents typed.
“He came in a few minutes before the President. He should not deepen the misunderstanding between chiefs and the government,” chief Nalubamba said “Why meet at the residence of the Permanent Secretary [where the press statement was issued? What is going on? If we had met as chiefs and it was resolved that we endorse President Banda, I would be telling you that we did as there would be nothing to hide.”
Chief Nalubamba said in 2008, chiefs in Southern Province endorsed President Banda on the premise that the MMD’s mandate should not be disturbed due to the untimely death of President Levy Mwanawasa.
“This should not be linked to our resolve for the 2008 elections as we wanted to save taxpayers' money. This year’s elections are tripartite and we should allow all political parties to seek mandate from the people,” said chief Nalubamba.
And chief Macha of Choma district said at no time did the 41 chiefs from Southern Province ever meet to discuss the endorsement of President Banda.
Chief Macha said the chiefs' meeting was at the invitation of the government but the chiefs got surprised when it was said that they had requested for the conference.
“At no time did we ever meet to discuss the endorsement of President Rupiah Banda. There were three or four chiefs who were coming up with suggestions but we said that we should wait until we all gathered so that we could agree or disagree, and that was never held,” said chief Macha.
He said it would be unfair for the chiefs to take a political stance by endorsing a political party as the traditional leaders were supposed to be non-partisan.
“It was not a question of endorsement. Chief Mukuni is the man who got the documents typed in his capacity as chairperson of the Royal Foundation of Chiefs but we did not meet to discuss the issue,” he said.
Chief Macha said during the conference, chief Mwanachingwala gave a vote of thanks and said that the 2008 resolutions still stood.
“We were in a conference and chief Mwanachingwala said that in his vote of thanks. Because we were in his chiefdom and we could not start arguing, he said what he said in his personal capacity and not as a resolution. Chief Mukuni spoke and said what he said but who told him? I was there. And if you ask any other chief, you will be told that there was no meeting to discuss the endorsement of RB,” chief Macha said.
He said chiefs were supposed to be principled and should speak exactly what was said. Chief Macha said there was no assurance that all the chiefs in the province belonged to one particular political.
“It is very unfair to the other political parties. We are supposed to be non-partisan. So take it from me that at no time did the 41 chiefs meet to discuss the endorsement, those who spoke highlighted the developments that are taking place in their areas,” chief Macha said.
And Southern Province PF chairman Joseph Akafumba said the stance taken by the provincial permanent secretary Gladys Kristafor to turn a government house into an MMD command centre should be condemned.
“She is a civil servant but we have seen that of late she is an MMD cadre who was even distributing MMD chitenge material in Mazabuka. She has now even turned a government house into a command centre where chief Mukuni endorsed President Banda,” Akafumba said.
He asked what chief Mukuni would do when President Banda lost this year’s elections.
“The man is going out of office and what will the chief do? It is lowering the chiefs' integrity if the chiefs did what chief Mukuni is saying,” Akafumba said.
Chief Mukuni was quoted in Friday’s Daily Mail as saying that chiefs in Southern Province, at the April 19 2011 chiefs' conference in Mazabuka, upheld their 2008 resolutions to support President Banda for the forthcoming tripartite elections.
Labels: BRIGHT NALUBAMBA, CHIEF MACHA, CHIEF MUKUNI
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Some govt leaders have no respect for traditional leaders - Chief Macha
By Charles Mangwato in Choma
Thu 11 Mar. 2010, 04:10 CAT
CHIEF Macha of the Tonga people yesterday said some government leaders have no respect for traditional leaders.
Speaking in Choma during an inception workshop on Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS), chief Macha said it was disappointing that some government leaders had failed to accord the traditional leadership the respect they deserve.
Chief Macha said he had expected a high-ranking government official to have opened the workshop but was surprised that only a junior ministry officer had been delegated to officiate.
“Its like myself as chief, I invite you to my palace and I tell my headmen to address you. How would you feel?” he asked. “This is what the minister and the PS have done to us chiefs gathered here.”
The visibly annoyed chief said while 13 chiefs from Lusaka and Southern provinces had travelled to Choma to attend the workshop called by the Ministry of Local Government, it was shocking that the minister and permanent secretaries themselves were conspicuously absent.
Chief Macha said politicians only recognised the influence of chiefs when they were in trouble facing an election.
“Very soon it will be an election and you will see government leaders coming on their knees before the chief.
This culture is bad. Chiefs are more permanent than the political leadership which can be hired or fired by the appointing authority,” he said.
The workshop organised by the Ministry of Local Government and Housing in conjunction with UNICEF and other cooperating partners has brought together 13 chiefs from Lusaka and Southern provinces to officially launch CLTS as an official government programme after being piloted by UNICEF in the past years.
“Chiefs are more senior citizens who are seated here in the workshop… are more senior than the minister and the PS but they managed to spare time to attend the workshop,” he said.
Labels: CHIEF MACHA
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IEEE urges engineers to help develop rural areas
Written by Nchima Nchito Jr in Macha
Monday, May 25, 2009 3:22:15 PM
ENGINEERS need to use their knowledge for the improvement of all humanity, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Zambian chapter chairman Reuben Munungwe has said.
During celebrations to mark 125 years of IEEE’s existence hosted by LinkNet in Macha, Munungwa said there was need to use ICT to benefit communities and push for development and end the use of technology for destructive purposes.
“As engineers, we should look at how and where we can volunteer to develop our country,” said Munungwa.
“As engineers and scientists in various fields, we should be striving at coming up with technology that will develop our rural areas.”
And LinkNet chief operations officer Fred Mweetwa said the coming of the internet had brought a breakthrough in development for Macha area.
“We have access to information that we would never have if it was not for the internet. As we speak now, we have managed to grow sunflower on a large scale which we are now using for several purposes. The knowledge for growing sunflower was all gotten on the internet,” he said.
“Our next project now is growing the Jatropha plant on five square kilometre of land which we will use to generate our own fuel. Right now we get our fuel from Choma and Lusaka but our aim is to be self sufficient.”
LinkNet Zambia is a cooperative organisation providing cost based building, operations and maintenance of tailored communications infrastructure and services for special interest groups in rural areas. Local communications infrastructure and services are built, operated and maintained by LinkNet members with the aim to grow and utilise local rural expertise to its fullest potential.
Labels: CHIEF MACHA, DEVELOPMENT, ENGINEERS, FRED MWEETWA, IEEE, REUBEN MUNUNGWE
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Agro extension services have collapsed, charges chief Macha
Written by Charles Mangwato in Choma
Wednesday, December 31, 2008 10:02:06 AM
CHIEF Macha of Choma has charged that agricultural extension services have collapsed, thereby delinking peasant farmers in his area from government initiatives on agriculture.
And Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe has conceded that the evident lack of coordination between farmers and government structures was not only embarrassing but also responsible for the wastage of the subsidised farming inputs under the Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP).
Speaking at his palace on Monday when Munkombwe called on him, chief Macha said government extension services in the area had totally collapsed.
“As a result, farmers are planting uncertified seed because there is no one to offer technical advice,” chief Macha said.
He noted that there was currently no linkage and coordination between producers and the government.
“This is manifested in the current shortcomings of the Fertiliser Support Programme which is benefiting people who are not farmers but crooks bent on re-selling the subsidised inputs,” he told Munkombwe who was accompanied by some government officers, including provincial agricultural coordinator Dr Adrina Nansungwe who are assessing the performance of this farming season in the province.
Chief Macha said it was unfortunate that there was evident lack of coordination between the government and peasant farmers, yet the government had structures at grass-root level which could be used to deliver innovative farming methods.
“We do not have agricultural extension officers here to advise on what crops to grow in different types of soils. How can we succeed in farming without technical advice from agricultural experts?” chief Macha asked.
He said while appreciating the government-sponsored FSP in addressing food insecurity, the programme required redesigning.
Chief Macha warned that unless the government redesigned the FSP, the programme would remain beneficial to ‘criminals’.
“Genuine farmers don’t get seed and fertiliser from the FSP because criminals have found loopholes and are accessing the commodity and reselling at inflated prices, incapacitating actual producers,” he said.
Chief Macha said it was embarrassing for the country to be importing maize when it had the capacity to produce adequate food crops.
“Government should come up with deliberate and workable policies that will promote food production. I do not see why this nation should be importing maize when we have the capacity to produce,” said chief Macha.
“This year, seed and fertiliser was given to farmers in December when rains started in November. What type of planning is this?”
But Munkombwe assured chief Macha that the government would address the issues raised over poor agricultural extension services.
He said there had been a lot of cheating and wastage of fertiliser under the FSP partly because the local traditional leader was not directly involved in monitoring its use among beneficiaries.
Munkombwe said he was visiting farmers’ fields to personally see for himself if the government-sponsored FSP was working according to expectations.
“When you are minister, you must identify yourself with people’s needs and in this province, the key is agriculture,” said Munkombwe.
Labels: AGRICULTURE, CHIEF MACHA, DANIEL MUNKOMBWE
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Chief Macha sells building to Radio Macha
This video represents the oral representation of Chief Macha handing over the building to be used for Radio Macha
Labels: CHIEF MACHA
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Be careful with Levy, chief Macha warns HH
By Inonge Noyoo
Thursday March 29, 2007 [02:00]
CHIEF Macha of the Tonga people in Choma district has appealed to opposition UPND president Hakainde Hichilema not to take people for a ride in his decision to ‘work’ with the MMD. Commenting on Hichilema’s statement that he was ready to meet President Levy Mwanawasa to discuss issues if that would remove the Zambian people out of poverty, chief Macha advised Hichilema to consult widely before making any decisions involving the party.
He said Hichilema should be careful with any political deals that he intended to be part of.
"We know that all these opposition presidents aim to go to State House and will do anything that would make them accomplish their goals. But he (Hichilema) should not take us for a ride. Politics in Zambia has become that of regionalism and he is quite dominating here in Southern Province. It is important that the members here are consulted and agreeable to every decision made," chief Macha said. " With all fairness before issues such as these statements are made, he should have consulted the people."
Chief Macha said each party is representative of the people.
He advised that it was important for opposition political parties to come together and form a stronger opposition.
"I believe the opposition have the same cause. That is not to mean opposition leaders should not work together but they should do so with clear intentions and consent from the people," he said.
Chief Macha said it was only when the opposition came together that many people would have relief and be liberated from poverty. He said no one party would penetrate the people's hearts if it works in isolation.
"It's a pity our politics have become very bad. And it is now clearer that all these opposition presidents are just waiting to go to State House. But no one party can command total support in one region and hence the need for the opposition to work together and bring change," said chief Macha.
Labels: CHIEF MACHA, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, MMD, UPND
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