Chief Chikanta of Kalomo District in the Southern Province has advised fellow traditional leaders in the province to consider working closely with the government of the day in order to attract development to their respective areas.
The chief has noted that it will be difficult for traditional leaders to achieve much of their developmental needs if they work in isolation from the government which is key in facilitating resource mobilization for developmental programs.
Chief Chikanta emphasized the need for a strong partnership between traditional leaders and government in order to foster socio-economic development in the various rural communities.
The chief who is also the chairperson of the Southern Province Council of chiefs was speaking in Dundumwezi yesterday during the Lwiindi Ceremony held at his palace which was attended by more than 10 chiefs from the southern province.
Chief has maintained that because of his strong partnership with the PF government his chiefdom has witnessed unprecedented development including the first-ever electrification programme, erection of six communication towers, and the construction of an all-weather road linking Kalomo to Itezhi via Dundmwezi.
And Chief Chikanta has pledged to mobilize the people of Dundumwezi constituency to register in masses as voters as the exercise opens tomorrow.
The traditional leader who is also the National Ambassador for the Movement for Voter Sensitization said it is important for all the people to participate in the electoral process by ensuring they exercise their right to vote.
Earlier the Movement for Voter Sensitization urged the people of Dundumwezi to take advantage of the voter registration exercise opening tomorrow (MVS)
MVS spokesperson Justine Katongo told hundreds of Dundumwezi residents who attended the ceremony that the movement will focus a lot on voter apathy and electoral violence as these vices have the potential to erode citizens ‘confidence’ in the electoral process.
Government should be separated from the political Party in office. the Government belongs to all the People, while the Party in Government belongs to the members of that political party.
So, everyone should work with Government as it is their property. There is nothing like government of the day. there is only the Zambian Government! that belong to all the people of Zambia. People should not shy away from using their own property!
Totally lost, does this chief understand the current economic stats. This is a very broke government so how does it bring development. Take a thorough walk through your chiefdom and see the levels of hunger
Chief Chikanta is proving to be wise and passionate about development of not only of his chiefdom but the rest of Zambia. It’s a fact that most people that include chiefs in Southern Province have been misled to believe that only Hichilema and UPND can bring development to their areas. It’s shocking that in some cases people have not only refused to accept projects from the govt but they’ve even vandalized them because they think by accepting then they’re selling their souls and votes to the PF. This is the extent of pollution that HH and his Party have caused. And I know that Chief Chikanta is very brave to even dare say what he said. The Chief needs our support. HH is the biggest political tragedy to have hit Southern province, he’s the devil’s incarnate
I have His Royal Highness Chief Chikanta of Kalomo does not understand the role of government. The government elected by the pipo for the pipo is supposed to take development to all corners of the country unconditionally regardless whether the such area is ruling or opposition stronghold. Its misleading to state that certain areas will only see meaningful development if only they side with government of the day. Resources allowing with proper management we are supposed to getting news on debates from local government and parliament.
What does this even mean? Government drives the policy of a party IN GOVERNMENT. They are obliged to send development and strategise for the WHOLE country. There is no need to remind the population about this. Stop conflating political parties with government machinery mwa wantu napapata namuyanu!
This shouldn’t even be something to ask. It should come natural for all citizens to work with the government of the day. However, due to the tribalism championed by upnd we find ourselves pleading with people to work with government in certain areas.
You don’t need to work with the govt to receive your development. It is a citizen’s constitutional right to have development whether young, chief,civil servant, voter or not, or in whatever form you are as long as you are a citizen.
@Ayatollah, its government responsibility to develop the entire country. Where a government attaches development with its support is not fulfilling its mandate. UPND and HH are not in government and to blame them for lack of development in Zambia is not only myopic but intellectually morbid.
Catalogue all chiefs supporting PF regime that can show developments in their chiefdoms and undeveloped chiefdoms who by virtual of their position do not align themselves to any government as that is the correct position. Its hypocrisy to attach votes as a prerequisite of any government.
@Muna Dekhane, I don’t speak from without. I have traveled around Zambia and I have seen for my self. I have just come from Syanyolo a village that lies on the Bottom Road. I’ve been to places in Southern Province where people uprooted electricity poles because they thought it’s a PF project. Govt works through people, it doesn’t execute projects in isolation. For some projects to take off the resolution must come from the community. Have asked why for 2 years funds allocated for the construction of Provincial Official in Choma went back to the Treasury unutilized? Obvious Mwaliteta was the Minister and he knows what happened and how Cornelius Mweetwa behaved. So get your facts before you comment. I can give you many examples
@ Muna Dekhane, this is the challenge I have given Anthony Bwalya on another story, I repeat the same to you:
UPND can’t unite Zambia because it’s Party that was founded by the Tongas, of the Tongas and for the Tongas. If you want to know its genesis, Anthony Bwalya look for the Joshua Mumpanshya Commission of Inquiry Report on Zambia Railways when the UPND founder served as General Manager. Also take time and tour Southern province, get into the villages and discuss UPND politics. Get to Sinazeze and dare criticize Hichilema, your family will be lucky if they retrieve your body for burial. Get deeper into Tongaland and find out why people display the portrait of the UPND President in their shops instead of that of the Head of State. When you return, if at all you will, then come we…
Ayatollah you have a lot of data my brother. Please educate these jokers
@Ayatollah, glad to engage you on the premise of fundamental principles of governance. To begin with, I do not hail from Southern province as such I express my opinion with an independent mind. Secondly, it is imperative that you withdraw your comment of demonising one ethnic group of people by virtue of hailing from Southern province including including singling an individual as a devils incarnate. That is unZambian. I have travelled the whole Zambia and can finger out levels of developments including Southern province. Developmental programmes in Zambia has not just began with the current PF regime. Since independence all provinces received a level of developments without any conditionalities as we see Zambians being subjected to, including chiefdoms of our traditional rulers. Its…
@Muna Dekhane, just one question since you say you’ve traveled across Zambia. Which other regions do they display the portrait of an opposition leader in business premises instead of that of the Head of State?
Ayatollah, be realistic. We have a government in Zambia that is functional to address your concerns (if true). However, even if true unless our government does not function fully, Zambians wouldn’t be subjected to Lusambo facial public display on huge bill boards across Lusaka. Lusambo face was on bill boards in Copperbelt when was Copperbelt minister. We, Zambians do not need to see some faces that mean nothing in our public space except that of the president equally occasionally. Ayatollah its up to the PF government to function professionally and efficiently as expected. Zambia has had other parties and other governments before PF government. What causes you concern never existed then.
@Muna Dekhane, I see you speak from without. That’s why I referred you to Obvious Mwaliteta and Cornelius Mweetwa who both had roles to play in the construction of the Provincial Offices at Choma. Search for the story and you’ll find out that for 2yrs in a role funds went back to Treasury unutilized because Mweetwa refused to sign the papers as the area MP. It had to take Mwaliteta to follow and confront him. In fact Mwaliteta began to campaign for the impeachment for the MP. Mweetwa was forced to sign. Educate yourself about how Govt systems work. Most audit queries are not for misappropriation of funds but not following laid down procedures and that’s common in areas where UPND has resolved not to work with Govt. Do you know that Jack Mwiimbu gets the salary and allowances of a…