Friday, March 29, 2024

Government releases K20 Million for Chiefs arrears

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-Government has released 20Million Kwacha to the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs to pay Chiefs and their Retainers.

Minister of Chiefs and Traditional affairs, Lawrence Sichalwe, says the subsidies and wages were for four unfunded months in the period between 2016 and 2019.

ZANIS reports that Mr Sichalwe disclosed this during a media briefing in Lusaka today, adding that the funds were released to the Ministry after approval of the supplementary budget by parliament in the current session.

“In this regard, my ministry has engaged the respective royal establishments through the relevant provincial administration to ensure necessary documents are submitted to facilitate payments’’, said Mr Sichalwe.

Mr Sichalwe explained that the Ministry has paid outstanding claims amounting to over 1.4 Million kwacha to Chief’s Retainers for various cases.

“These are travel benefits, leave, long service bonus and terminal leave benefits to Retainers who have been retired, dismissed or terminated from their employment in all the ten provinces of the country, Mr Sichalwe stated.

Mr Sichalwe who is also Chawama Law Maker, has however, appealed to traditional leaders to be non-partisan ahead of the August 12, 2021, general elections.

“Chiefs are responsible for promoting unity among subjects as opposed to being biased towards political party interests,” Mr Sichalwe advised.

He stressed that if traditional leaders take a partisan stance, they may threaten the peace among their subjects in their respective chiefdoms.

“For instance if a Chief takes a partisan position, this means that he will compromise the reconciliation process over his subjects who belong to different political parties in his chiefdom,” he lamented.

The Minister added that traditional rulers must not be tempted to engage in politics, but must embrace all courtesy calls due to them.

“They will certainly receive various political leaders in their chiefdoms as they try to sell their parties to citizens,” he said.

13 COMMENTS

  1. CANT BUY VACCINES ?? IF THIS IS NOT PROOF THAT THE PF DOESN’T VALUE PEOPLES LIVES
    THEN I DONT KNOW
    IT APPEARS THIS COUNTRY IS IN A DICTATORSHIP OR HEADING THAT WAY

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  2. Election Election Election Election Election Election Election Election Election Election Election . Coucil workers come here and claim your unfunded months from ?????? to April 2021.

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  3. These payments to chiefs is buying votes for ECL and PF. After Elections arrears will start accumulating. ECL is splashing Money all over the Place. He Printing Money recklessly to buy votes. This will fuel inflation and cost of living by August 12 will be unbearable and unaffordable to the masses. Zambians should vote out this Corrupt and incompetent Lungu Regime. People need a change of Govt and People’s hopes are in HH and UPND. HH aka Bally will fix it.

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  4. Ati Mr. Sichalwe who is also Chawama Law Maker, has however, appealed to traditional leaders to be non-partisan ahead of the August 12, 2021, general elections.!!! IYE
    We have Mwata Kazembe and Mpezeni who have gone all out to campaign for Lungu and pf yet you have been conspicuously quiet because you are tribal and very segregating .
    You are very insensitive to the suffering of the Zambians. Now that its election time You want to pretend to be a caring govt.?
    Have you paid the pensioners before you pay the chiefs? You are paying all those dues because you want to bribe chiefs to campaign for you. Is that not promoting partisanship?
    Why all of a sudden there is a hive of activity of donating money to Cooperatives, cadres, chiefs, Churches and others?

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  5. Traditional leaders on government payroll! Their palaces are supposed to be looked after by subjects and this only means they become government pawns no longer wielding all power over their subjects and loyalty is eroded! Funny too that money can be found to appease the chiefs but not retirees!

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  6. So between 2016 and manje, there was no money and suddenly zangena? These coincidences ine niliye mau.

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