The Zambia National Women’s Lobby (ZNWL) has learnt with anger and disappoint news of the defilement of a 14 year of girl child by a named traditional leader of the Eastern Province.
This case of defilement is peculiar because Chiefs as custodians of the people’s culture and identity should be in the forefront to protect children from perpetrators of heinous sexual crimes such as defilement.
We therefore find it quite upsetting that the named traditional leader used his power and position to lure an underage and vulnerable girl child into sexual activities.
Such an action is a great drawback to the efforts being made by government and other stakeholders to curb sexual crimes in the community as Chiefs command loyalty and admiration of their subjects.
We therefore call for justice for the defiled girl child and implore all government agents involved in this matter to ensure that the case reaches its logical conclusion. Defilement does not only injure the physical aspects of the victims but results in psychological scars that in most cases do not heal. This negatively affects the productivity and contribution that a survivor is able to make to his family, community and the nation at large.
We further call on the government through the specialized Ministries and concerned agencies to ensure that the victim is protected from intimidation, harassment and threats from the Chief, his family or subjects. This is a high profile case that should serve as an example to others who may wish to use their position of privilege to abuse and subvert the rights of the weak and vulnerable in our society.
Ms. Juliet Kaira Chibuta
ZNWL Executive Director
The name of the traditional leader is Chief Kazembe of the Tumbuka people in Lundazi….not naming them is an evil in itself…..the media in Eastern province has named him but the advocates against such abuse are reticent….makes me wonder what we are really doing
I hope due process is observed in this matter.
I am not in favour of naming suspects until they have been found guilty in a court of law.
If there is enough evidence, charge this chief, convict him and lock him up for 25 years.
He will then be someone’s b!tch inside prison – then he will know what it feels like to be sexually abused.
If it was an opposition leader who defiled a minor they could have sentenced him by now and a by-election.
But a chief and a Minister, in defilements and p@rn circulation nothing happens to them.
Arrest the chief.
You dont wait for suspects to be found guilty to name them. You only wait for them to appear in court. Those are the laws. You dont name them before they appear in court so ba LT should be careful even if its not their report which named the suspect. LT as the publisher is liable for Kapolyo’s post above
Just arrest the man.
Dethrone the bastar1d immediately, atase!!! Pa kaiche ne nsoni eyeee!!!
No muto tamuli iyo webo ati mpaka fye ntombele … we mbwa we!!!
In every legal and moral sense, this cretin doesn’t deserve to Lord anyone anymore.
Let’s roll …
The statement leads healer and not leader.Nvertheless, let that traditional leader face the law. The nation should get lid of child molesters. The best is to castrate him and remove his manhood. The problem is that there are human rights activists who defend such morons. The chap should be caged and keys should be thrown away. He is not fit to be called a traditional ”healer” or traditional ”leader”
The statement “lids” healer?
get “lid” of child molesters?
Yaba, im out!
Thank you for this. It makes no sense for the ZNWL Executive Director to hide the criminals’s name. These salaried chiefs are a disgrace to communities. Kazembe should go to jail.
And politicians who defile/abuse/steal government coffers/moneys?
What a scandal! To see a traditional leader in jail! The one who must be inculcating good values and morals in his subjects
This chief his dk must be cut off, no excuse for his behaviour. He is pedophile.
Mwata kazembe is not from Eastern Province
Not Mwata naiwe
As a woman, I see a baby if someone is below the age of 23. So i’ve often wondered what its like to be a man. And here, I’m talking about a grown up man with maybe grey hair? How, without shame, they are able to undress themselves before a child.
They are called “sex maniacs!”
Eastern Province at it again. It was the HIV infected Mpezeni who set a precedent when he raped 2 girls from Mwami Basic – implementing the virgin cure myth. I thinkthis one is also HIV infected.
There will be a by-election in his chiefdom to find his replacement.
The Chief told Police that the girl was not a virgin and he was merely authenticating her puberty. The chief contends that the girl is mature and she has got big breasts
What useless chief.Is he still in custody or what? No bond or bail. He is a disgrace to leaders across board. Manama alishuka had I been there, I could have taken the law in my hands and after dealing with him, hand back the law to government safely.
soon there will be talk about witchcraft and this case will hit a dead end. it only catches those with no meanss to threaten the laws . it’s just funny at times
These traditional leaders are becoming a problem politically, economically and morally. Most of chiefs and headmen in Zambia have become either political party cadres or land sellers. If a chief does that, what massage are they portraying to society ? These are the people who are supposed to stand against defilement, but they are busy spearheading that. Take him to prison where he will be received as a virgin at 50
He should be arrested and taken to court. This is not something to hide. Doesn’t matter what position he holds justice must prevail, the law should take its course.