Luapula Province Permanent Secretary Boniface Chimbwali has warned some Sub – Chiefs in the Province who were masquerading as Chiefs of possible arrest and has since advised them to desist from the practice.
Mr Chimbwali issued a warning during yesterday’s management meeting for Government departments under control 96 in the province.
This came to light as a serious observation from one of the members in the meeting who said some Sub –Chiefs in the Province were going round masquerading as Chiefs without Government approval and authentication.
The Observer explained that once the practice is not halted, it might become a vice that will bring confusion in the Province as even the authentic Chiefs will have their status threatened by masqueraders.
The Luapula Permanent Secretary stated that there were only 288 recognized Chiefs in the country and Government is not recognizing any additional Chiefs unless one comes via a court order and anyone masquerading as a Chief when they are not, were just courting trouble.
He said it is a serious offence to masquerade as a Chief when one is not.
Mr. Chimbwali implored the Department of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs in the Province to sensitize the traditional leaders in the Province on the matter.
He said impersonating was a serious offence as eventually even their self-imposed Returners will start making claims without Government support for escorting the masqueraders on errands not sanctioned by Government.
What do you expect sir, 90% of you leaders masquerade as recipients of funds that are donated or borrowed for the country. Now you don’t want to let the ordinary man masquerade? you are not fair. Why do you want to eat alone. It means all of you that your salaries don’t add up to your assets should go to jail and sleep with murderers and rapists and become their wives. One day it will happen. Invest in Lubricants now. They are waiting in jails
We have the institution of House of Chiefs and a Ministry of Chiefs. What this translates to is free-for-all in terms of remuneration for JUST BEING A CHIEF. What do you expect? There will be masqueraders. We need to re-look at this chiefdom concept and begin to devolve some sort of economic independence to the activities of villages and their chiefs. That way we will begin to rationalize on the masqueraders because they will realize there is work to do besides just being called a chief.