Chief Macha of the Tonga people has called for the removal of traditional barriers that stand in the way of development.
Speaking at Limulunga in Mongu today at a workshop for chiefs and indunas in western province, Chief Macha said some traditional practices have had a negative bearing on the development process in rural areas.
The chief regretted that some areas continue to lag behind in development because of too much emphasis on traditional taboos that have no relevance to development.
He said time has come for chiefs to embrace modernity by breaking taboos and champion development in their areas by working closely with their subjects.
Chief Macha wondered how chiefs would spearhead development in their respective areas if they distanced themselves from their subjects on account of observing tradition.
He said traditional leaders should work closely with government officers and other development agencies instead of isolating themselves.
Chief Macha is in Mongu leading a team of experts from Choma at the invitation of OXFAM to launch the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) in western province.
ZANIS
Keep it up. The good chief!
Chief Macha should have elaborated on traditions that hamper development…. Not sweeping ambiguous statements to impress the muzungus from Oxfarm….
Thats my chief………modern chief indeed!
The chief should be specific….
Katele dissolves Western MMD over convention calls
THE MMD has with immediate effect dissolved the Western Province executive committee and the Serenje Central constituency committee.
MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba who announced the development in a statement in Lusaka yesterday said the action was designed to streamline discipline, organisation and mobilisation interests of the party.
He said the decision followed careful study and full consultations with relevant organs of the party and consistent with powers of his office under article 46(1) and (2), article 52(3) and disciplinary regulations.
He said the party’s chairman for elections had since been written to, to cause elections for the two organs.
In the meantime, his office would administer the political administrative interests in Western Province while for Serenje Constituency, the district committee would take over until new committees were put in place.
Dr Kalumba said MMD members should realise that the secretariat had a responsibility to ensure internal harmony and in the wake of external threats to its integrity and would not allow extravagant conduct.
And Community Development and Social Services Minister Michael Kaingu has insisted the MMD should not hold its national convention until after the 2011 elections because the party has no money for the exercise.
Mr Kaingu, who is Western Province MMD treasurer said he was prepared to forego his Mwandi Constituency seat and campaign for the president if the people did not agree with the wish of the majority in the party that the convention should not be held
He was reacting to threats of disciplinary action against him and his Communications and Transport counterpart, Geoffrey Lungwangwa by MMD provincial youth chairman Musangu Njamba who accused the ministers of going against a decision of the province.
He said he enjoyed a lot of support in his constituency and among chiefs and other eminent people across the country and those threatening to discipline him should realise that he is not a pushover.
Mr Njamba had said the provincial executive committee (PEC) consulted extensively before coming up with the position that the convention should be held as earlier planned.
TIMES OF ZAMBIA
Thanks to Chifef Macha for saying the truth to the lozi’s,this is so because so far Mongu is the only provincial HQ which still lacked behind in terms of development.Work up so called Baroseland for nothing.
Thats the way to go chief. Thumbs up!! Blodgers #2 and # 4. Well this certainly isa summary, so we do not know all that was said. And anyway the art of communication teaches you that in order to achieve your objectives, it not always neccssary to be blunt when dealling with pipo especially when there are third parties observing. So please give kudo’s to the Tonga Chief
What is your zambian definition of what you deem development?I believe it was the late Her Ladyship Gladys Mutukwa who once said,” Very little knowledge is damaging.” I have been continously amazed at just how the zambian mind thinks.Lets me put this in a painfully crude way. You may starve us to death in Barotseland because of our current poverty levels but a least our children’s children are, for millennia to come, are assured of having a portion of land to be buried on. Even with the existing subtle form of economic blockade imposed on Barotseland, what you must know and live with is that we shall never yield to corporate and institutionalised Land pillage and thuggery. These matters are cardinal before we can even begin to debate ‘Economic development’ as this occurs on the…
Sometimes one wonders just what the hell goes on in Katele’s head. I was once made to believe he had presidential aspirations but one wonders how dissolving Western Province MMD will help him. Being married to Lumba who hails from there, he stood a good chance to scoop some votes from there but this act just seems to fly into the face of such logic. Anyway, he’s behaving like Sata, firing all thinking the oil of anointment will land on his wizard bald head, until it lands on Mpande mwaiche.
each tribe keeps it’s own traditions, there’s nothing wrong with that. why the chief says this in western province? chimbuye??