PARAMOUNT Chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba people of Northern Province has said that his subjects should not blame the Government for underdevelopment in the area, but themselves.
The traditional ruler said the people of Northern Province should not rely on their counterparts in Lusaka to develop the region on their behalf, but that they should do so on their own.
Paramount Chief Chitimukulu said the people of Northern Province should find solutions to their own problems as the area was endowed with abundant water and other natural resources The traditional leader was speaking during the 2017 post-Budget forum in Kasama on Saturday evening.
“Everybody has been mentioning about the abundant resources of water, about abundant natural resources, but why are we poor? That question should not be thrown to people in Lusaka, this is our baby. Why have we not developed the water resources and the natural resources which we talk about?
“To me, it’s very shameful when I go outside the country and they say everybody here in Zambia, talks about natural resources in Zambia and yet 80 per cent of the Zambians are poor. So does that augur well?” Paramount Chief Chitimukulu wondered.
The traditional ruler said it was everyone’s responsibility in Northern Province to ensure that the natural resources in the area were fully utilised to derive benefits.
“To me, it’s very shameful when I go outside the country and they say everybody here in Zambia, talks about natural resources in Zambia and yet 80 per cent of the Zambians are poor. So does that augur well?” Paramount Chief Chitimukulu wondered.
He wondered why his subjects were fond of mentioning those in Lusaka as the ones who would develop Northern Province.
“The problem is not with the Government, the problem is yourselves.
What we have done at Lubemba Investments is to have the ideas, we compile the ideas then we sell to the Government. This is what we want to do,” Paramount Chief Chitimukulu said.
The traditional leader also said he was willing to offer land to those that wanted to set up industries in his chiefdom and not houses.
Paramount Chief Chitimukulu further wondered why Northern Province farmers had not yet received farming inputs and while those in areas with poor rainfall patterns had been given seeds and fertiliser, besides questioning where the contractor that was working on the Mpika-Kasama Road had gone.
In response, Finance Minister Felix Mutati assured Chief Chititmukulu that he would ensure that the Government started distributing farming inputs in Northern Province this week.
Mr Mutati described the year 2016 as having been a very difficult one as the Government spent more money than the economy was able to generate, and borrowed more than the ability to service the debt.
He cited the importation of power to cushion the power deficit as one of the critical expenditures that were not planned for.
“Colleagues, I said 2016 has been a difficult year. We have tried very hard to create a platform for 2017, trying to distribute the resources for the country that will project next year as equitable as possible.
We should lessen on borrowing because debt brings about embarrassment.
“We don’t want the President to wear the jacket of debt, so we are limiting the borrowings next year to not more than two per cent GDP (Gross Domestic Product),” he said.
Mr Mutati disclosed that President Edgar Lungu had instructed his Cabinet ministers to be truthful to the people when they made pledges as they risked losing the citizenry’s confidence by making promises they could not fulfill.
Blame visionless Lungu & his violent PF bandits!
The Skeleton Key
~206~
My genius monkey cousin
skeleton, Nothern province has just come into being and poor after Lungu has assumed office? Very interesting indeed. It was not there during colonial days, KK, FTJ, Levy, Michael and RB. This is good history.
i have great respect for the learned Chitimukulu but it is GRZ which is supposed to provided good polices and money for development. cant you see that NWP and WP are poor while Muchinga is seeing development?
You have been hoodwinked by your fellow politician tribesmen that development only comes when you vote for the ruling party, mwaiche wandi you can’t compare mongu and solwezi to your ramshackle mpika or chinsali, which contribute 0% to the nation treasury, what does mpika and chisali contribute to Zambia in terms of monetary value, absolutely nothing.
Wanza wehyi.
KK I agree with u. I dint expect such a statement from a learned man.
KK I agree with u. I dint expect such a statement from a learned man. not surprised though.
I also wonder why govt distribute inputs and fertilizer where it doesn’t rain.Bwafya no wonder we are a poor nation. It’s the same problem with electricity.Why investing in areas where it doesn’t rain?If govt invested more in northern part of Zambia we can’t talk about road shedding.We concentrating too much in southern region.
Kikiki pf caders are amazing, one Moscow op is so dalu, he doesn’t even that it’s the water in the rivers the drive those turbines and not the rain, my friend if it rains heavy in your north that water will still find it’s self in the dams in the south, try navigating the kafue river, you will be shocked that it comes way up north, pours into the might zambezi whose source is from the might northwest which is one of Zambia’s rainfall belts. If you know little shut your beak.
The chief realises that the govt abdicates its basic responsibilities. The president and his fellows plunderers are more concerned about how to squeeze every ngwee and line their pockets. Developing Zambia is not part of their agenda.
y didn’t you ask the people of northern province where the contractor working on mpika -chinsali road has gone since you are blaming them ? be factual kanabesa . the gvt should be blamed.
Well said mulopwe, kanabesa, mwine Lubemba. Zambians feel very smug and comfortable to be told they have “abundance” in natural resources and that they are a “potential” awaiting for boom times! Unfortunately unbeknownst to them is that brief-case wielding investors walk in and unlock that potential for THEMSELVES paying the statutory pittance to government for the resources. Now that we know we can unlock potential ourselves we also must ask government interventions that are clear, impartial, rewarding of initiative, genius and innovation and not this nicekeleko attitude that drives our smartest brains out of our borders!!
Moning ba chiefe u have lefet behind u say don’t blem or don’t waite for lusaka but again u are compailing ideas to send to lusaka is it not the samething ? Mwemfumu just say pipo must go thru u to contact lusaka tefyo
What natural resources is he talking about? Caterpillars? This tribal Chief thinks his subjects can try exporting canned monkey steaks in tomato sauce. Good luck Chief!
Amish! what a child outburst of temper you have-very silly and immature…
Well-spoken your Royal Highness. That is the correct mindset that since driven western Countries from strength to strength to-date. For example: –
“Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.”
-(John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address -USA, January 20, 1961).
Great man indeed he knows how to speak, he talks sense intelligent chief, northern province contributes more human resources to the nation you can not forget that without personel there can’t be any development.
If you are level minded you will find that there are more bemba speaking people in the whole zambia .
He said it rains in his area yes it does but how much investment is there in power nil, but where there is poor or no rain what a joke for zambians please, zambia is one we should’t look from all corners of zambia for resources .
You steal Zesco or zamtel cables, you damage hydrants, you remove roofing from bus stops, you damage street lights and when the time you need anyone of these and they are not available you blame government. You also blame government when a house you illegally built in swamp is flooded and collapses.
The Chitmukulu is just a greedy traditional leader who has used his traditional status to benefit only himself, Sata saw through him and that’s he didn’t want him to ascend to the throne.