Chief Macha of the Tonga people of Choma in Southern Province says the recommendation in the Mung’omba draft constitution that proposes that chiefs participate in political activities and stand for any elective office should not be allowed.
In an interview with ZANIS in Choma today, Chief Macha said traditional leaders should not be allowed to stand for any elective political office because they already hold public offices by virtue of them being chiefs.
He said there should however be a provision that chiefs who want to participate in political activities be required to relinquish their traditional positions so that the vacancy occasioned is immediately taken up by the next heir to the throne.
He said the integrity of chiefs needs to be upheld and that allowing them to participate in active politics will compromise their good standing in society.
Chief Macha said chiefs are not there to make money but to offer leadership as the ascendancy to the throne is not through appointment or an election but through a meticulous selection process.
And executive director for the Youth Development Organisation, Partner Siabutuba said chiefs are peace brokers because they are perceived to be politically neutral.
He said the clause in the Mung’omba draft constitution recommending that chiefs participate in political activities will create problems for the country.
Mr Siabutuba said there is need to separate chiefs from politics as their role is clearly defined.
He said in the present political dispensation in which there is antagonism among political parties, chiefs would be casualties of such political rivalry.
ZANIS/ENDS/CM/CLM
CHEIF macha you are 100% collect .
why
The chief is 100% correct
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Chiefs if you want to become super fighters Mps,wel come to the club.Mean while chief Macha you are 100% correct. **==
Chief you are right. If allowed to stand as Mps. who should the chiefs be represent in parliament? I mean constituency boundaries are not the same as chiefdom boundaries, This means one chiefdom maybe covering more than one constituency,or two chiefs share a constituency. Then how do you choose which chief to represent whe constituency? knowing that most if not all of our chiefs will want to become Mps, and chiefs are civil servants who are traditional leaders. What is the reasoning behind this idea of bringing in politics(confusion) to all corners of society? I think its nonsense.
Then give back the Pajeros =))=))=))=))
Right thinking Tonga chief.
Mwami…inzala and luck of innovation on your fellow chiefs. they dont know who they are. they are the richest in the nation but still borders on poverty. the own massive resources but linger on beggerly. these people have no vision at all. Mwami u re right. but your friends are wrong. in are in a very wrong group. i recommend we abolish some of them who prove non viable. we liquidate their chieftainness if they wish to be politicians.
Chiefs participating in politics will be very divisive. We should consider ourselves fortunate to have chiefs who are this wise.
Chiefs are dissatisfied with the failure of the government to deliver what it had initially promised from inception – a new chiefs draft policy.The govenment has failed to up lift living standards of the Zambian people,more especially in the remote areas where apparently the MMD got a lion share of votes.Therefore,the feel they are better placed to champoin the political cause of their regions.But,i do not thing that would be the honorable way for our chiefs to start engaging themselves in active politics.They already have the house of chiefs,and i feel ,they can tranform and revaitalise this institution into a strong voice to reckon with.
I agree with Chief Macha,politics is a dirty game,those in support should be ready to be insulted, criticised and ready for the great opposition from the non appointing party.Secondly, how can a chief rule people from the other opposition parties,because is going to be a party cader of the appointing party.Mukakose kuli bena Sata na post.
Chiefs are well respected the way they are.Dont involve yourselves in active politics.nononono. 😮
Chief Macha is one of the few wise chiefs in Zambia.
The Constitution guaranttees every Zambian the freedom and right to actively participate in the political affairs of the country, whether chief or not. These are the kinds of decisions that open our traditional leaders to corruption and manipulation by politicians and those in power. The decision to remain a chief or not if you choose to go into politics should be a personal one.
# 14. me, you are right, so far when he talks, he talks sense. We dont want to see what happened in Luapula where a chief was whipping his subjects to force them to support a political party of his choice!
either become an mp or stay a chief.its unreasonable to be both.well said tonga chief
Chiefs that want to venture into politics must relinguish their throne FULL STOP. In politics we take each other on, very difficult to do so with a chief. First time in Zambia we have so many educated chiefs, something is going on!I smell a big fat cat not a rat!!! While it’s good that more educated Zambians are taking up this role, I doubt whether it is for service & not to share the spoils. Most of them drive expensive “handsomely donated 4X4’s”. Suddenly it has become rosy to be a chief like in Nigeria. They a busy during campaigns recieving politicians, who leave big parcels as gifts.
This chief is very intelligent. Ndiye ma chief aya. not this chiteni ichi…… 😕
This an MMD ploy to exploit chiefs to their advantage. No please do no allow this. NCC is specically meant to give advantage to MMD. The Mungomba recommendations are being changed to suit themselves. Any KK was doing the same but God made us remove him but Satan gave us FTJ
Firstly, is Chief Macha the only Chief of us Tonga People from Choma? LT let us provide correct news for I am from Choma under Chief Mapanza not Chief Macha.
0n “He said there should however be a provision that chiefs who want to participate in political activities be required to relinquish their traditional positions so that the vacancy occasioned is immediately taken up by the next heir to the throne. He said the integrity of chiefs needs to be upheld and that allowing them to participate in active politics will compromise their good standing in society.” Chief Macha is 100% right and has demonstrated that Zambian Tonga people have great reasoning capabilities compared others.
NCC take
this advice seriously.
I hope to read more such thinking from other chiefs from across the whole of Zambia so that NCC can do the correct thing.
Wonder how it will be in 2011.
this is very wise on the part of the chief to havve taken such a stand.
chiefs are always thought of as wise and these are signs, well spoken and now live up to it yourself…amano