Mweemba Area Development Association (MADA) says succession disputes of senior Chief Mweemba in Sinazongwe district have divided villagers who may attack each other if nothing is done to address the situation.
MADA chairperson, Edson Sikalongo, told ZANIS that government and responsible officers were behaving as though the situation over the succession was safe when two people have declared themselves as acting Chief.
In the deepening succession dispute, Lason Siasokwe and Ephraim Siatambika have declared themselves as acting Senior Chief Mweemba and they have each mounted the national flag at their homes.
Mr Sikalongo said the law enforcement officers and the Local Government and Housing Ministry should move in quickly to address the situation before a crime was committed.
He disclosed that the people in Mweemba area have also rejected the shifting of the Senior Chief Mweemba palace each time a chief dies.
The MADA chaiperson pointed out that the Mweemba people would also not accept a politically appointed chief as it happened in 1999 when Syacheye Madyenkuku was alleged to have doctored the appointment of senior Mweemba.
He said the appointment of the chief should be in accordance with the Zambian constitution on the act of chiefs’ article 127 where headmen have powers to appoint a heir.
Mr Sikalongo has called on the people in Mweemba area to be united in the selection of the senior Chief Mweemba.
Tension has mounted between the headmen that are supporting Mr Siasokwe and those that are supporting Mr Siatambika over the succession of senior Chief Mweemba who died in 2007.
The headmen that are supporting Mr Siasokwe have been threatening to shed blood if their fellow headmen continue to support Mr Siatambika.
ZANIS
Please wake up peaple can you please resolve that issue before blood is lost. That Tonga Land is very Rich and its is the histoy of the origination of all the Tongas.