CHIEF Machiya of the Lamba people of Mpongwe says the constitutional requirement that councillors must possess grade 12 certificates is not attainable in rural areas.
Speaking at his palace on Saturday when Deputy Minister of Works and Supply Mutaba Mwali paid him a courtesy call, Chief Machiya said Government must revisit that clause in the Constitution.
He said most people in rural areas are not that educated, but are quite knowledgeable and could make good councillors.
“This move will be very unfair on the local people. Government must seriously look into it because it will not work,” Chief Machiya said.
He said the grade 12 requirement will disadvantage local people from contesting council seats, but will instead attract the participation of urban dwellers who know very little about the needs of the local people.
“As you may be aware, schools came very late in the rural areas and most people do not have these qualifications. Those who may be qualified have probably relocated to big towns,” Chief Machiya said.
He also appealed to the Electoral Commission of Zambia to reconsider the K1,500 nomination fee for aspiring councillors because it is too high for people. Chief Machiya said most people in rural communities are peasants who cannot afford to pay the revised fees.
And the traditional leader assured President Lungu that he and other Lamba chiefs will continue working with the Patriotic Front government.
Chief Machiya said he wants to help President Lungu win this year’s general elections but that Government needs to fulfil its promises to the people.
He said the local people want Government to work on the 130km-long Mpongwe-Machiya road.
“We want this road to be done because it is long overdue. Once it’s done, I can assure you of 100 percent support from all the chiefs here,” Chief Machiya said.
Responding to the chief, Dr Mwali acknowledged that the grade 12 certificate requirement for councillors will be a challenge in most rural communities, but that Government delivered a constitution which people had been crying for.
On the road, he said the project is currently at procurement stage and the Road Development Agency will select a contractor before the end of next month.
Chief Machia, if that is the case, what have you done all this years to educate your people?
Ignorance has kept Africa behind. This Chief must be excused as he believes illiteracy is normal 50 years after independence. We need educated people to speak or the masses.
.if you do the road we will vote for but if you don’t….I can see don’t kubeba part 2 here…this time done on PF…
I foresee the referendum failing because not so many people are going to participate in voting and boycotting because they feel segregated about simple things as G12certificate. This must be the opportunity for them to push govt to upgrade them free.
WHY DO YOU PAY FOR YOUR CHILDREN TO GO SCHOOL EVEN ABROAD
IF YOU DON’T APPRECIATE BASIC GRADE 12 EDUCATION ?
YOU WANT TO AMEND THE AMENDED CONSTITUTION WITHIN A MONTH
OF THAT MASSIVE MOBILIZED HEROES STADIUM SIGNING ?
PROPER WASTAGE OF RESOURCES.
PF at it again paying their fellow illiterates to speak for them
Seriously speaking do we really need chiefs?If they were wise like mwine lubemba one would understand.But look at this ka Chief,or the likes of Mpezeni
what nonsense is that..let them stay away if they are not qualified
Chief Muchiya please emulate His Royal Highness Chief (Doctor) Mumena of the Kaonde people in Northwestern Province. He is a graduate and has been conferred with a Doctorate degree. Chief Mumena always encourages education in his Chiefdom as well as Christian religion (by the way religion and education move together and that is what Colonialists introduced to us – for that I thank them).
Old days of illiterate Chiefs are long gone. If the Chief is illiterate how will he appreciate the importance of education? How will he encourage his people to get education? All Chiefs who are vying against the clause of Grade 12 are only suitable for the dustbins; they belong to the pre-colonial era when our ancestors were chasing elephants naked with sharpened sticks as their weapons.
Please wake…
@C-General. Well said! And that chief looks pretty young so he should understand the value of education in this time and age. The time of using illiteracy as a vehicle for corruption has to end now!!!
This pf cadre chief is a disgrace. He wants the mercenary to continue because he eats the the droppings from his master’s table. Zambians don’t deserve such dull thinking carder chiefs who are so narrow minded.
There is no reversing on the Grade 12 Education standard for one to aspire as a councilor, up to President. This is the reason this country has not advanced as expected because most of the elected members who were not educated could not understand what was being discussed from council chambers up to parliament. This left the technocrats free to manipulate developmental budgets or programs to suit their whims. Let this clause not be tempered with. Its a bitter pill and we have to shallow it. I support what President Lungu said that people should start going to night school.