Central Province Permanent secretary Bernard Chomba has expressed concern at the escalating chiefdom boundary disputes in the province.
Speaking when he addressed subjects from Chief Chipepo’s area in Kapiri Mposhi District, Mr Chomba said that there was urgent need for stakeholder engagement in order to address chiefdom boundary disputes taking place in Central Province.
Mr Chomba observed that boundary disputes have the potential to fuel conflict among traditional leaders and divide people in the affected chiefdoms.
“As government, we are concerned about the boundary disputes that have been going on between Chief Chipepo of Kapiri Mposhi district and Chiefteness Malembeka of the Lamba people in Mpongwe District on the Copperbelt.” The PS said.
“We are also concerned about the boundary dispute between Chief Ngabwe of Kapiri Mposhi and Chief Mwinuna of the Lamba people that have persisted and if left unchecked, these boundary disputes can bring conflicts among traditional leaders, as well as divide subjects in chiefdoms,” Mr Chomba added.
The PS said this when he addressed subjects from Chief Chipepo’s area led by headman Kachenjela who sought his intervention in the boundary dispute in their area.
The subjects claimed that they have been forcibly removed from their land by Chieftainess Malembeka’s subjects of the Lamba people of the Copperbelt Province, and have had their maize fields slashed following a boundary dispute.
Meanwhile, Mr Chomba has threatened to remove and replace Kapiri Mposhi District Commissioner, Peter Mwiinde for allegedly failing to address the boundary disputes in the district.
Mr Chomba was irked that Mr Mwiinde has not heed to his directives, to engage his counterpart from Mpongwe District and ensure dialogue between Chieftainess Malembeka and Chief Chipepo in order to amicably resolve the chiefdom boundary disputes.
