President Edgar Lungu says he will continue working with traditional leaders to ensure that the girl child is protected.
President Lungu also said he will ensure women take active roles in society.
He said government recognizes that traditional leaders play an important role in development and noted that developmental efforts that are done without the participation of traditional leaders cannot achieve desired results.
He was speaking when he met 37 Chiefs drawn from different parts of the country who presented resolutions made during a workshop on promotion of gender equality in the country.
The Head of State urged Chiefs in the country not to be too restrictive on women saying women should be allowed to realize their full potential.
He stated that women in most cases are restricted and that this makes it difficult for them to take up active roles in society.
Earlier, Chairperson of the House of Chiefs Senior Chieftainess Nkomeshya Mkamambo II who presented the resolutions dubbed “Petauke Declaration” said government should consider elevating the House of Chiefs into an upper chamber of the national assembly.
Chieftainess Nkomeshya stated that the Chiefs had also resolved that Government should harmonize the various Acts and the Local government Act.
She also stated that government should facilitate the mapping and development of Chiefdom and district maps for clarity and effective administration of these areas.
“The Chief have also said government should consider devolving natural resources management and conservation functions in Chiefs and their traditional authorities.
Chieftainess Nkhomeshya also said government and its cooperating partners should build capacity in fast tracking resolutions on issues related to gender based violence, HIV and AIDS, adolescent sexual and reproductive health rights, defilement and underprivileged girls and boys.
“We consequently call for a national indaba with government, members of parliament, district and council leadership, civil society, academia and religious leaders to discuss and resolve the role of traditional authorities in governance and development,” she said.
President Lungu was in Petauke district in Eastern Province to launch the ‘He For She’ campaign meant to mobilise men and women in Zambia as advocates and agents for change in ending the persisting inequalities faced by women and girls globally.
Be careful with that woman – she should not be trusted.
Pardoning Kanene is worse than the rape Kanene was convicted of. Its a travesty, a parody and ridicule of our criminal justice system. Why didnt you let Kanene exhaust the appeal process or at least serve 5 years before even considering the pardon?
You have spate right in the face of justice.
What message are you sending to the girl child? What girl child are you protecting? Are you not a lawyer to understand better?
This is a flagrant abuse of power.
I am very disappointed and I wish we had a better opposition as an alternative to take over govt next year
The visionless Lungu is a typical hypocrite. How can te fintu Lungu protect the girl child abuse when he Lungu, has fled a rapist in one General Kanene?
This copy & paste PF leadership, plagiarizing Obama visiting a state prison, the visionless also visits Mukobeko as a cosmetology of politicking. The economy, kwacha, load shedding & perpetual fuel hikes after scraping subsidies.
This hypocrisy by Lungu of fleeing rapists of juvenile girls now claiming to protect the same girls, who have been raped by the same BANDITS he’s letter Scot free. Rapist Kanene belongs to rot in jail! What precedence is Lungu exhibiting as a lawyer? Shunning just for prerogative of mercy to article 56 is abuse of the constitution.
Hypocrisy!
The Skeleton Key
~206~
Parents must be the first line of defense for young girls! Government will not protect your daughter from predators. They can prosecute the predators but its up to parents to protect your girls.
Nubian Princess – Best advice!!! No NGO has given this advice — ba Sara Longwe, so sad!!!
MMMm i dont know about protecting the girl child when just a few days ago you pardoned a convicted child molester.The resolutions of the meeting are well intended if implemented.
That is how our dear and compassionate leader intend to protect underage girls from statutory rape, free convicted rapists!!!
Here we go again, left and right are stories and ideas which are dirty. Sex sex sex sex even on Sunday. It is sex which made Kaingu famous, as a result universities are closing one-by-one.
Next time we will hear that Edgar’s daughter abuse on camera for “girl-child” protection commercial.
Leave our children out-of-your dirty minds your blaaarie PFs.
May I ask something…is “Ambiguity”a normal thing with ECL…it seems he works on a schedule without taking prior thought of the programs ahead…
“Which Girl Child is going to be Protected??Right now Dandy Crazy and Macky 2 might be teaming up…Am sure there lots of Criminals who are now taking music lessons and the girl children must prepare for more agonising pain from rape…
Which girl child is he protecting! Unleashing child molesters from jail to streets is protecting the girl child! Seriously, this chawama lazy boy needs to have his head examined!
Double standard..Kanene is a danger to girl. Lungu released a lion to the herd of zebras . What he expect of ??
If anyone ever wanted evidence that President Lungu is simply NOT capable of walking his talk even on critical and delicate matters affecting life of our children, here is the evidence. Declaring to fight child molestation by freeing child molesters says it all.
I also wonder at the propensity of the President to liking despicable characters. Two weeks ago I was shocked to hear our government spokesman deliver a message about how saddened the President was by the death of one Youngson-a terror and known criminal in the Kitwe underground, add to this I have seen photos of the President with Mr Fawzi, who also has had his issues with the law in the past, then we have that small matter of entertaining HenryB who had beeen on the run during MCS reign for plunder of Govment resources, how about our cosy relationship with Uncle Bob accross the Zambezi who is almost an international pariah, most recently we had the gun totting SG & DC in Mulobezi, mwebantu!!
This is what you get when you elect an utterly visionless lazy bum of an empty tin; on one day he will pardoning defilers and the next day he will be ignorantly reading a speech about protecting the girl child….truly laughable indeed.
No policy cohesion whatsoever…who came up with that ill-thought out slogan? ‘He For She’ campaign…is Buffoon Kambwili and Mukanga one would be mistaking for thinking its a Transvestism promotion campaign.
Does lungu know meaning of protecting girl child when he just got his criminal friend out of jail for sleeping with under age girls.
Chief Ishindi of Zambezi has formed a terrorist wing which has started killing people with guns he has acquired from Angola.The earlier this warlord chief is dethroned the better.Last night a prominent Headman Mbalakanyi was shot dead and there is tension in the district.President Lungu should show leadership before the Burundi- Rwanda situation breaks up.
kwabapo infumu na WIG
That’s your president.
Betray young girls from pidofilers and counsel traditional chiefs. For Zambians to believe we are progressing in our governance under PF government is sheer hypocracy.
Change has to come with 2016 elections.
Look at him in that photo this is the level of leadership the lazy bum Edgar feels more comfortable with… out and about with local chiefs at deputy ministerial level…this lazy bum is completely clearly out of his depth as a head of state and even more laughable is that this selfsame bum is also our defence minister…the joke is truly on us.
Zambians wake up from docility…let’s educate our brothers, sister, aunties, uncles, fathers, mothers and grannies in rural areas about what it takes to lead a nation not this useless bum in the photo.
Ecl does not believe,practice wht he says .such a person is a hypocrity.kanene issue is a burden on him.
Whilst on a foreign trip recently, when I told people I was from Zambia, I was shockingly asked if it was a president from my country who had told people that he had no vision what so ever during campaigns. To handle the embarrassment, I just laughed it off and quickly changed the subject
One day he is pardoning a child molester/paedophile and the next day. He is vowing to protect the girl. Child! Double tongued!
Parents protect your daughters. EL will not protect them. If the government brought in stiffer punishment for paedophiles,dfilers or whatever you may choose to call them, the. Things would improve. As it is we the parents need to work towards protecting the daughters. You see young girls walking alone at night, where are the parents? We have taken freedom of movement too far. Personal safety is each individual’s responsibility. The govt will not protect you. Let us cut the tails of these perverts that are loose in our communities.
”General Kanene beats up wife, four days after release from jail” is the head line a few minutes ago on Lusaka Times, Ndeloleshafye.
I think the president is on Jameson whisky again. I thought Kanene was just released and he beat his wife to a pulp! Now President Lungu is claiming to protect “girl child”, this is all too confusing. Maybe when he has a clear head and stops being delusional is when he will explain himself. Right now let’s wait for the hang-over to subside. Clearly he is not thinking straight. He and Kanene are both a danger to society. This way of thinking does not do anything for a nation nor it’s society. The president really needs help and this poor decision backs everything and all claims about his lack of vision and leadership skills. Clearly this is a case of human rights violation for women and UN and other agencies need to access this. We have scatter brains in every aspect of the government.