The Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) has advised traditional leaders in the country to be sources of unity as opposed to being sources disunity and discontent among their subjects.
Speaking in an interview SACCORD Executive Director Boniface Cheembe said tradition leaders are fathers and mothers of everyone regardless of their political affiliation hence there is need for them to welcome all subjects without being selective or political.
Mr. Cheembe said different governments will execute different projects during their tenure which traditional leaders should note and appreciate appropriately without being seen to malign any governments past or present.
He noted that there is need for traditional leaders to embrace all subjects so as to avoid confrontations when there is a change of governments adding that chiefs should stop the habit of castigating or praising governments when it suits them .
“What we want as a country is for the traditional leaders not to be a source of discontent but for them rather to be a source of unity, love and prosperity for our country and that can only be done if they are all embracing to all citizens of this country without taking sides.”
He added, “as SACCORD we believe traditional leaders in the republic of Zambia are fathers and mothers of children from different walks of life and irrespective of their political affiliation, the appeal of many Zambians is to always be impartial and all embracing to all their children.
“Traditional leaders should be embracing to all their children without seemingly being seen to marginalise any of them. We believe that government will execute different projects under their tenure and what is important is for all traditional to take note of the good that different governments undertake because ultimately all governments change at one point or the other.
“We don’t want to have a situation that when governments change you as a traditional leader you seem to castigate those that helped your subjects when it was in office,” Mr. Cheembe said.
