By Prince Bill M. Kaping’a Political/Social Analyst
During a recent courtesy call on him by Infrastructure Minister, Hon. Charles Milupi, the Paramount chief of the Bemba speaking people in Northern Province, revealed that he was once a beneficiary of Hakainde Hichilema’s generosity.
“Myself, I will work with government of the day. Mr. Hichilema had put me on a payroll when I had issues with government. I was on payroll by Mr. Hichilema, I still have the fridge that he gave me,” Chief Chitimukulu is quoted as having said this during the meeting.
The Mast newspaper wasted no time writing a damning and scathing editorial on this, aptly titled, “Chitimukulu is living in shame” in its Tuesday’s edition.
It states thus in part; one who has never known the Chitimukulu Mwinelubemba Henry Kanyanta Manga Sosala would think he means what he says what he says today. Unfortunately, he is a shameless opportunist who has an art to worm his way with politicians without regret.
The editorial goes on to disclose that Chitimukulu traversed this country promoting PF and Edgar’s interests without shame and that his messages were then and are now full of tribal connotations; and he seems to be very happy about it.
It boggles one’s mind that despite Chitimukulu’s seemingly corrosive hatred for this Tonga man who now occupies State House; he was once a beneficiary of a salary and other expensive gifts from him when Sata’s government expunged his name from payroll. And yet we never heard Hichilema bragging about this rare act of philanthropy on his part. This simply tells you Hichilema is hewn from unique clothing……he is a compassionate man willing to extend assistance to those less fortunate than him without necessarily having to scale mountains to let the whole world know!
With due respect, the editorial in question has exposed Chitimukulu for who he is; an ungrateful and resentful old man…..a party cadre!
Isn’t it embarrassing that despite traversing various parts of the country canvassing votes for Lungu and the PF, the majority of our people, particularly the youth still went ahead and voted otherwise?
Chitimukulu is not the only one; many of our traditional leaders around the country cheapened and disgraced themselves by allowing themselves to be paraded at political rallies in glaring sunlight to endorse PF in exchange for SUVs and 3 pieces of silver!
Our chiefs must be reminded that we are no longer in the Stone Age. For God’s sake, this is the era of social media! Young people have access to information right on their fingertips 24/7 to help them make informed decisions. This is more the reason why despite our chiefs attempting to “brainwash” them into voting for Lungu and the PF, they still defied the directive and voted with their conscious. Wasn’t the turn out of the youth amazing…….that it even attracted the attention of the US President?
By now, our chiefs ought to appreciate our democracy, and very importantly, diversity in their chiefdoms – whether they like it or not, their chiefdoms are likely to constitute individuals belonging to a wider political spectrum – UNIP, FDD, DP, PEP, PAC you name it. And to expect these subjects to blindly follow a chief into supporting a particular political establishment simply because they do is naivety of the worst kind!
We should perhaps start urging our chiefs to start learning from the Queen of England. Etiquette demands that the Queen must remain strictly neutral with respect to political matters. By convention, the Queen does not vote or stand for elections. However, Her Majesty does have important ceremonial and formal roles in relation to the government of the UK including appointing the Prime Minister, once of course, the voting has already been done.
Our chiefs must understand that once they engage themselves in politics, they start exposing themselves to the firing range. They are therefore better off refraining themselves from politics so that whomever is ushered in as President or MP must be at peace calling on them for ‘blessings’ without harbouring any mixed feelings. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
As a nation let us take stock of what chiefs and chieftaincy is bringing to the table.What would we lose if we banned chiefs?I’n my view nothing.
How much land has been abused by chiefs?Plenty
Have chiefs been a unifying factor?No
How many times have these chances embarrassed their subjects?Many
So what are they for
Perhaps the question to ask is, “if chiefs did not exist would we have created them?” We maintain chiefs merely as evidence of who we were before colonialism set up Northern Rhodesia which rebranded as Zambia at independence.
Leave Chitimukulu alone. What about that witch Mukuni?
Ka P.F Cadre & belly politician aka ka so called “Chief”
Kapinga has just failed to come out in the open that he loathes the Bemba speaking people…why emphasize that HH is Tonga? For your information Sata who hailed from the Northern Province never recognized Kanyanta Sosala as Chitimukulu( they had some personal differences). HH gave that fridge to the Chief and promised him that if elected as president he not hesitate to formalize his status… therefore this was not some philanthropic gesture…it was vote buying. Lungu played the same card he won the election and Sosala was immediately confirmed Chitimukulu.
#3Anthony… it’s all right if Mukuni is politically inclined as long as the party is Upnd.
The case of the Fridge. Zambians don’t like Chiefs who say this politician did this for me, Zambians want chiefs who say this politician did this for my people and my chief dom. It was fashionable when PF was buying chiefs during the last elections for Chiefs saying PF did my palace so my people should vote for them, why should people vote for them for your personal benefit as a chief, we need to change such thinking.
The institution of Chieftaincy has been in existence from time immemorial, it’ll outlive all other institutions of governance no matter how much scorn you pour on it. We’ll continue to support and respect our traditional rulers. You can’t expect Mwine Lubemba to keep quiet or not to take sides in the face of reports about not only the intimidation but the killing of his subjects in UPND strongholds especially the Southern province. Many Bembas were killed and displaced on 2015 and 2016 in Southern province. Chief Chisunka had openly challenged ECL if he wanted him to order Bembas to retaliate. No matter what you do this history won’t be changed. ECL is still alive and I challenge him to speak on this matter because his silence seems like nothing happened. It’s by blood that UPND is…
This Chief and that one in Eastern Province are an absolute disgrace to their people.
A baseless, and misdirected attack! As ever, with some of you guys – it’s all about licking politicians’ boots! You hold politicians with such reverence; you want everyone else to yield to them! Well, am afraid, this Chief will not be indulging you. If I were you, I’d leave the Chief alone, & rather, open my eyes to real issues in the country!
#plant a tree please!
I hope that HH will not visit the PF Cadre Chitimukulu during his 10 years in office.
There are other worthy traditional leaders in Northern Province.
The 6 out of 10 are thieves should just chose another chief. Had respect for previous Chitimukulus of the Bemba, not this Chitimwaiche.
PF misled the Chief even accused HH of planning to overthrow the Chief and having insulted the Bemba people. Shame to that criminal gang.. I pray to the almighty God that PF should never come back in power – AMEN.
The writer of this article is if I can be more civil an ***** who dies not need space. Can he now write on Chief Mukubu who never hid his being UPND even in his writings.
So ignore this Kapinga snd rubbish his writing.
Both chiefs are humans who can choose to like or not like any politician. Both these two chiefs expressed there tribal inclinations and partisan political views so why pick only on one? If he writes this rubbish on one and he’s ignorant on the other then Kapinga is shallow and foolish in himself.
You UPND zealots answer this question. It is fine that Mukuni the wizard to be a UPND cadre and not other chief to support the party his or her choice?
#14 Kizito
January 27, 2022 At 5:48 pm
“You UPND zealots answer this question. It is fine that Mukuni the wizard to be a UPND cadre and not other chief to support the party his or her choice?..”
It just shows chief mukuni and his advisers to be well informed and on the right side of history by shunning the corruption and brutality of the lungu regime , together with the majority of Zambians………
While chimukulu and his advisers were shown to be backward corrupt gang , eating with lungu on the backs of Zambians………..
Don’t waste time reading this boy’s massive subtentorial jerk responses,so called analytical “thought.
We have no time to answer questions from any PF cadre. You failed exams on August 12, and you can’t be an examiner now asking questions. No more cadre chiefs please. PF was messy
Chief Mukuni never ever went around campaigning for HH7. This particular Chitimukulu is a disgrace, he openly campaigned for the corrupt, thieving, incompetent and violent Lungu. This nonsense about the so called ‘ working with the government of the day’ whatever that means must stop, chiefs have been hiding behind this to have corrupt relationships with politicians. Chitimukulu and his cousin Mpezeni are culprits in this. They are the most corrupt and opportunistic. Does working with the government of the day mean campaigning for a particular political candidate like Chitimukulu did going around with lazy Lungu and from his base at Chrisma Hotel in Lusaka. I like the Litunga and Gawa Undi, they don’t campaign openly for political candidates or issue political statements.