Gawa Undi complains over short period for comments on draft constitution
By Ernest Chanda and Christopher Miti in Katete
Mon 30 Aug. 2010, 04:01 CAT
PARAMOUNT chief Kalonga Gawa Undi of the Chewa people in Eastern Province has told President Rupiah Banda that he was disappointed with the short period given to the public to comment on the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) draft constitution. And President Banda said no meaningful development could take place in a society which lacks a strong cultural background.
In his opening speech read by deputy chief minister Dr Justine Malewezi at this year’s Kulamba Kubwalo ceremony on Saturday, Gawa Undi said the constitution was an important document, which required sufficient time for people to comment on.
“On the political front, we wish to register our disappointment over the few days allocated to the public to submit on the draft constitution. We feel that the period was too short for many people to make submissions,” Gawa Undi said.
“More time, say 90 days could have been allocated to the process so that more people participate.”
Gawa Undi complained that crop marketing had continued to be a problem in his area. He said farmers in his chiefdom waited for too long to be paid for their produce.
“Our province is predominantly an agriculture province. Crop marketing has continued to be a problem; there are few marketing points. On the other hand, farmers wait for buyers for a long time at the few buying points. And they still wait for their payments for a long time. There is also the high cost of inputs such as fertiliser and fuel,” said Gawa Undi.
“Our farmers also face problems of abuse from briefcase traders who get their produce. Electricity interruptions are also affecting development in the province. The few industries we have cannot run on full capacity due to low voltage. We therefore need a lasting solution to this problem.”
Gawa Undi also cited the high pump price of fuel as one of the major problems hindering development in the province.
Gawa Undi controls 42 Chewa chiefdoms in Zambia, 137 in Malawi and 33 in Mozambique.
Kulamba is an annual traditional ceremony at which all Chewa chiefs under the control of Gawa Undi pay homage to their paramount chief and report all problems they have in their chiefdoms.
And President Banda said no meaningful development could take place in a society, which lacked a strong cultural background in terms of sound values, norms and behaviour among its people.
“Through art, music, theatre, dance and various other cultural performances, culture contributes to tourism promotion. I am sure everyone will agree with me that what we have seen so far proves that this ceremony is actually improving,” President Banda said.
He said the government would continue providing basic infrastructure such as roads, railway lines and other facilities to further ensure that education, health and food were accessible to the majority of the people.
“This government will continue to support the livelihood and welfare of our people by providing basic infrastructure such as roads and railways but, in addition, will continue to provide Fertiliser Support Programme which has resulted in a bumper crop never known in the history of Zambia before. We have to build more schools, more hospitals, more health centres than ever before, and will continue to do so,” President Banda said.
President said the number of maize buying markets had increased from 59 last year to over 160 this year.
He said the government was pleased with the performance of the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), and pledged continued support.
On a lighter note, President Banda said he was a cowardly Chewa in respect of snakes.
“Aninena a master of ceremony Lucas Phiri kuti ku Chiparamba ndiye kuli Njoka zambiri koma onani a President uthamanga akaona njoka (the master of ceremonies was attacking me saying there are a lot of snakes in Chiparamba but I run away when I see a snake),” he remarked.
President Banda said he enjoyed the demonstration on domestication of snakes by the Chewa performers.
Malawian Local Government minister Ana Namakanga Kachikho said events like the Kulamba expressed people’s way of living.
Labels: AGRICULTURE, CHIEF UNDI, CONSTITUTION, NCC
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Zuma calls for unity
Sunday Mail, 1 March 2009
AFRICA National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma of South Africa says African leaders should use political independence to unite and reconnect people of southern Africa.
Speaking yesterday when he officiated at the Nc’wala ceremony of the Ngoni people at Mtenguleni in Chipata, Mr Zuma said the relationship of countries in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) would be more meaningful if the people at grassroots were able to interact through traditional ceremonies.
He said his invitation to Zambia by President Banda demonstrated the warm relationship between Zambia and South Africa.
He said it was an important political duty for President Banda to have invited him to officiate at the Nc’wala ceremony and reconnect the Ngoni people with their brothers and sisters in South Africa.
“The challenge now is how to reconnect with our brothers and sisters after gaining independence. We must remember that oppressors wanted us to lose our identity and forget where we are coming from,” Mr Zuma said.
He said Zambia and South Africa had long enjoyed a good relationship despite the colonialists having created boundaries and divided the ethnic groups into smaller groups for fear that they would be defeated.
He said now that countries were independent the challenge was for political leaders to reconnect the people of Africa and ensure that the connection grew bigger.
“The relationship was interrupted by colonialists who created political boundaries and made their countries in their own form. They did this after our heroic fight but defeated us after using sophisticated weapons and colonised us. But we liberated ourselves at different times,” he said.
He said during the struggle for independence, Zambia was home for various freedom fighters and sacrificed for the independence of Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
“Now that we have political independence, it is important for political leaders to use this power to reconnect people in a free environment,” he said.
Mr Zuma said, however, that there should be no contradiction between traditional system of governance and modern politics because both worked for the good of the people.
“There must be cooperation between traditional and modern politics,” he said.
Mr Zuma was earlier greeted with a spectacular display of the Ngoma dance at Chipata Airport on his arrival before he met Chipata Mayor Sinoya Mwale at the district council offices.
Mr Zuma was bestowed with an honorary award of Freeman of the municipality of Chipata in recognition of his sacrifice and contribution to the liberation of South Africa.
He later proceeded to Mtenguleni to call on Paramount Chief Mpezeni.
Mr Zuma was accompanied by family members of King Zweletini of the Zulu people. These included a daughter and son of the King and two of his brothers. Others were two royal highnesses of Zimbabwe.
And President Banda said it was important for people to maintain their culture because it defined the essence of human beings.
“Keeping our culture is keeping our essence of human beings. A person is regarded as a person through culture. The Nc’wala ceremony reaffirms our freedom to celebrate and share with the rest of the world the country’s tradition and culture,” he said.
Mr Banda said Government decided to invite Mr Zuma to grace the ceremony because Mr Zuma was one of the distinguished leaders and touch bearer of the next presidential election in South.
“It was important for him to grace the ceremony and it is so generous for Mr Zuma to be the guest of honour here. The world knows that Mr Zuma is a touch bearer in the forthcoming elections and that it is so generous for him to be a guest of honour here,” he said.
Mr Banda said Zambians, and the Ngonis in particular, were related to South Africans. The two leaders later unveiled a statue of a Ngoni warrior in the main arena.
And Paramount Chief Mpezeni said the interaction between South Africans and Zambians, particularly the Ngonis, could make the two peoples explore a lot in tourism.
In a speech read for him by the chairman general of Ngoni Royal Establishment, Mr Adam Chongo, the chief said that Zambians and South Africans should promote cultural exchanges to improve their relationship.
He thanked President Banda for his Government’s continued efforts to develop the district. He cited the Mchinji-Chipata railway as one of the developments that would create employment when it is completed.
He appealed to government to increase fertiliser support to his subjects so that they could produce more crops. He hoped that the district would have a good harvest this year.
Other Zambian paramount chiefs present were Mwata Kazembe of the Lunda people and Kalonga Gawa Undi of the Chewa people.
Labels: CHIEF MPEZENI, CHIEF UNDI, JACOB ZUMA, MWATA KAZAMBE, NC'WALA, PANAFRICANISM, RUPIAH BANDA
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Rupiah to announce reduced fuel prices
By Chibaula Silwamba and Christopher Miti in Mkaika
Sunday September 14, 2008 [04:00]
VICE-President Rupiah Banda yesterday said he would soon announce a reduction in fuel prices in the country. Officiating at this year Kulamba traditional ceremony of the Chewa people of Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique at Mkaika - Paramount Chief Gawa Undi's Palace Vice-President Banda, assured that the government had put in place measures to address the problem of high fuel prices in the country.
Vice-President Banda's statement followed concerns raised by Paramount Chief Gawa Undi that the government should explain why fuel prices were higher in Zambia compared to the neighbouring countries,
"I take note of your advice to government to pay attention to the roads, in particular the Great East Road and to prices of certain essential commodities and essential agents for development such as fuel prices being too high," said Vice-President Banda, who is also acting Republican President, in response to Paramount Chief Gawa Undi's calls for the government to find solutions to the high fuel prices.
"I am pleased, Your Royal Highness to say that government is already paying attention to problem of reducing the prices of fuel as we do agree with yourselves sir that without fuel, development cannot take place. So, very shortly, I will be announcing to the country the new prices of fuel which will be lower than the existing ones."
He also said the government was pleased with the performance of the food security pack programme and the fertiliser support programme under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
"In this regard, I assure you that the government will continue with the two programmes even in the coming farming season," said Vice-President Banda.
Labels: CHIEF UNDI, FUEL, RUPIAH BANDA
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No politics at Kulamba ceremony, says Chief Gawa Undi
September 8, 2008
The Chewa Royal Establishment in Katete district of Eastern province has banned wearing of political attires at this year’s Kulamba ceremony which takes place on Saturday this week.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Katete today, Paramount Chief Kalonga Gawa Undi’s senior Induna, Joseph Chikuta, said the Chewa Royal Establishment has banned the wearing of political attires at the ceremony to avoid adulterating the purpose of the ceremony.
Mr. Chikuta said the establishment has learnt in the past that mixing culture with politics especially during campaign periods could trigger differences among political rivals.
He said once political differences occur at ceremonies, the purpose of the cultural event is defeated.
He said the establishment wanted to strongly uphold the purpose of the ceremony and not to create a campaign stage for politicians.
Kulamba ceremony of the Chewa people in Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique, which is cerebrated annually, takes place this Saturday in Katete district at paramount chief Kalonga Gawa Undi’s Mkaika palace.
Acting President Rupiah Banda, in the company of several senior government officials, is expected to grace the ceremony.
Senior government officials from Mozambique and Malawi are also expected to be in attendance.
Last year, the ceremony was graced by late Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, Malawian President Mbingu Wa Mtarika and Mozambique’s Armando Guebuza.
Meanwhile, preparations for the ceremony at the arena are almost complete and preliminary activities will start on Wednesday.
ZANIS/LNN/KSH/ENDS
Labels: CHEWA ROYAL ESTABLISHMENT, CHIEF UNDI, KATETE
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‘Resolve Petauke wrangles’
Mwanawasa intervenes, orders House of Chiefs...
By TIMES REPORTER
PRESIDENT Mwanawasa has directed the House of Chiefs to help resolve the chieftainship wrangles in Petauke. Chairperson, Chief Mumena, informed the house yesterday that the President had directed that a committee to look into the wrangles in Petauke should be constituted. He said the committee would also study the conflicts surrounding Paramount Chief Gawa Undi’s chiefdom of the Chewa in Katete district.
Chief Mumena said a committee was formed and would start operating as soon as logistics and terms of reference had been discussed.
He said he was confident that the committee would succeed in its mission because the house had in the past managed to resolve such differences.
The seven-member committee comprises Chiefs Ntambu, Shaibila, Simaamba, Nsamba,Chinakila, Kashiba, and Chieftainess Chiawa.
And Local Government and Housing Minister Sylvia Masebo has advised chiefs to be mindful of their traditions and culture when demanding for anything from the Government.
Ms Masebo, who yesterday witnessed the debate of two motions in the house, said this after the chiefs demanded that the Government should build modern palaces besides renovating dilapidated ones.
She said some traditional rulers shunned the same palaces after the death of a chief.
The minister said the Government needed to know how many of the 286 chiefs were
“modernised” because some records at the ministry showed that some of them could not live in brick houses according to their traditions.
She said the Government at times experienced problems in handling matters of some chiefs who died at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka in view of claims that their bodies could not be taken to the mortuary.
Ms Masebo said as could be demonstrated by the motor vehicles that had been bought for them, the Government cared for and respected chiefs and in situations where it failed to provide for them it was because of financial constraints.
She said as the Government had embarked on a programme to build houses, the traditional rulers should surrender land for the project as some of them were refusing to offer land for development.
About the call for Government to provide clean and safe drinking water in rural areas, Ms Masebo said the Government had formulated a strategic plan to reduce distances to water points.
The exercise was expected to take about 10 years and would cost K923 billion.
She said traditional rulers should encourage their subjects to have fixed villages to make it easier for the Government to provide water especially that communities would be involved in the exercise.
Labels: CHIEF UNDI, CHIEFS, MWANAWASA, PETAUKE, SYLVIA MASEBO
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Western style democracy has brought instability - Bingu
By Brighton Phiri and Christopher Miti in Chipata
Sunday August 26, 2007 [04:00]
MALAWIAN President Bingu Wa Mutharika has said the Western style of democracy has brought instability in Africa. And President Mwanawasa has expressed concern at the loss of Africa's culture, heritage and identity to the Western and global sub-culture. President Mwanawasa has further said that international organisations such as the United Nations (UN) should not only be strengthened but also reformed in order to address the challenges affecting the world.
Speaking during a banquet hosted for him by President Mwanawasa in Chipata on Friday night, President Wa Mutharika said there was nothing new that Africa could learn from the West as far as democracy was concerned because it existed since time immemorial.
"Actually, democracy as taken from the West brings in a lot of instability in Africa. As such it is frustrating development," President Wa Mutharika said.
"Chiefs such as Undi have been democratically running our governments long before the colonialists came. I am saying this because sometimes we think that we are learning democracy from the West. There is nothing new which Africans can learn from the West because we had it (democracy)."
President Wa Mutharika said under the African style of democracy, the traditional leaders ensured that everyone was consulted and pulled in the same direction over matters of development.
He said the African style of democracy was not where members of the opposition that had lost elections always claimed that elections had been rigged.
"It is not democracy where the loser always feels that he or she has been cheated and it is not the democracy where all those that have won fell that the elections were free and fair. It was also not democracy of impeaching presidents for the purpose of getting into the office faster than the necessary period required, but it was democracy that recognised the power of the majority and also the concerns of the minority," he said.
He said it was very important that Africans realised that they would lose a lot if they left behind their traditions and culture in preference to the Western culture.
"It is our responsibility as leaders in government and the Church to unite our people and teach each other that it is important for us to move together in one direction regardless of our beliefs because we all want development," President Wa Mutharika said.
"Let us unite behind our leaders and chiefs because it is in unity that we shall develop." He said Africa's social and economic development lied in the hands of traditional leaders.
"I have always admired the Chewa people for preserving their culture and traditions because it unites not only the Chewa people but other people. These traditions and customs make us be Africans and be proud of being Africans," he said.
President Wa Mutharika commended Gawa Undi, the paramount chief of the Chewa people of Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique for attending his late wife's funeral.
"This was evidence of the care which Kalonga Gawa Undi has not only for the Chewa but also other people," he said.
And President Mwanawasa said Zambia had joined other like-minded nations in calling for a reform of the UN structures, including the Security Council.
"The world today is faced with many challenges such as conflicts, terrorism, natural disasters and HIV/AIDS, to mention but a few. These challenges underline the need to intensify international co-operation in order to combat these menaces to society," President Mwanawasa said.
He urged leaders in economic groupings such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to speak with one voice because they were fora that would help them realise the political, economic and social expectations of their people.
"These organisations are also very important forums in our mutual search for peace and security on our continent," he said.
Earlier in the afternoon, both President Mwanawasa and President Wa Mutharika commissioned the construction of the Chipata/Muchinji rail line on the borders of Malawi and Zambia.
President Wa Mutharika said the completion of the rail line would reduce the cost of transportation by 55 per cent for the Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.
He said the three countries had been cheated for too long that the rail line was not viable.
"It takes a lot of courage to move from decisions to actions," he said. "The Unites States of America, Europe and other developed countries have rail links...why are they advising us against having this rail line? It is wrong advice."
President Wa Mutharika said he looked forward to a time when the people of the SADC region would move without being asked to produce visas.
President Mwanawasa said the commencement of the construction of the Chipata/Muchinji rail line was a practical step in furthering the objectives of SADC well beyond mere talk.
He said the railline which was conceived in 1982 as a bilateral project between Zambia and Malawi, was intended to connect the country, via Malawi to the port of Nacala in Mozambique.
President Mwanawasa explained that Zambia could not complete the project as scheduled due to lack of resources.
He disclosed that government would advertise a tender for the construction and operation of a dry port at Chipata Railway station as a trans-shipment port between road and rail.
He said the government was currently examining the possibility of extending the rail line from Chipata to other areas of economic interest such as Petauke and Mpika.
President Mwanawasa said government was planning to construct another rail link from Nseluka to Mpulungu which he said could economically service the Great
Lakes' region for its imports and exports through the Nacala corridor.
He urged the people of Eastern Province to produce their agricultural produce such as cotton, groundnuts and maize in large quantities to enable the rail line to be economically viable.
And during the Kulamba ceremony of the Chewa people of Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique at Kalonga Gawa Undi's palace at Mkaika in Katete yesterday, President Mwanawasa said marginalisation of traditional ceremonies and other cultural practices by colonialists had impacted negatively on the people's identity, especially children and the youth who were vulnerable to Western cultural influences.
"In today's age, traditional values like respect for elders, extended family system, hard work and moral uprightness are being eroded and lost to a set of values which promoted moral decadence, the nuclear family and other foreign standards. This evolution has eroded our values and created disunity and in some cases conflict among our people," President Mwanawasa said.
"It is this concern about the loss of our culture, heritage and identity to Western and global sub culture that has brought together the three leaders from the three countries - Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to join the Chewa people in celebrating the Kulamba ceremony in the spirit of unity as one people."
He said the Kulamba traditional ceremony was a significant cultural event for the Chewa people because it brought together subordinate chiefs and their subjects to pay homage to Gawa Undi, the paramount chief, and to celebrate culture and tradition of the Chewa people.
President Mwanawasa said the Kulamba traditional ceremony was being commemorated at a time when the 'Gule Wamukulu' had been declared by UNESCO a masterpiece of oral and intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
He assured Gawa Undi that he was going to pursue the project in which government had offered to fund the writing of the biography of the late Gawa Undi.
President Mwanawasa said it was the MMD government's intention to establish a stock market centre and dairy produce industry to encourage improved herds and productivity.
Speaking through one of the indunas, Justice Malewezi who is former Malawian Vice President, Gawa Undi called for a people driven constitution.
He asked the government to address the chaos in the grain marketing system and the constitution review process.
Gawa Undi asked government to reduce the producer's price of maize because the current price did not make the local or peasant farmer self-sustainable.
He also asked for the government of Malawi's Chewa hierarchy during installation of Chewa chiefs.
Gawa Undi expressed concern at the delay in the production of the biography of his predecessor.
He also appealed to Mozambican President Armando Guebuza to help improve communication between Chewa chiefs in Zambia and those in Mozambique.
He said he was experiencing difficulties communicating with Chewa chiefs in Mozambique.
And President Guebuza said paramount chiefs had an important role to play in Africa because they were custodians of value.
He said his government appreciated the chiefs' role in assisting government reach out to the local community and he pledged to continue working with local leaders to enhance development in the region.
And President Wa Mutharika expressed happiness to be present at the ceremony for the first time because it made African people more African.
He said there could not be any meaningful development without unity between chiefs and government.
President Wa Mutharika said chiefs were pillars of development among people.
He said the three Presidents depended on chiefs to bring about change in the lives of the people in the region.
President Wa Mutharika asked the people in the region to promote a culture of forgiveness. He said it was important for the three countries to begin to be forgiving and listening to each other.
Among those who attended the ceremony included opposition leaders - UNIP's Tilwenji Kaunda, UPND's Hakainde Hichilema and APC's Ken Ngondo.
Others were Chitimukula, the paramount chief of the Bemba people, Mpenzeni the paramount chief of the Ngoni people, Nsenga chiefs, chieftainess Nkomeshya, chief Mumena, senior chief Nshindi, chief Mukuni and government ministers and senior government officers from Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique.
Labels: BINGU WA MUTHARIKA, CHIEF UNDI, DEMOCRACY
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