Government has called on chiefs in the country to uphold their unique position in society and stop engaging in partisan politics if they are to be relevant to the country’s socio-economic development.
ZANIS reports that Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Minister Lawrence Sichalwe said today that traditional leaders must not use the respected and sacred institution of chieftaincy to advance their partisan interest.
The minister said traditional leaders must stop dabbling in partisan politics but support the government of the day to help develop their chiefdoms and improve the lives of their subjects.
Mr. Sichalwe, who is PF Chawama Member of Parliament challenged partisan chiefs to resign from their positions and join politics as opposed to hiding behind traditional authority.
He said chiefs can contribute to the democratic governance of the country by engaging government in national development through the House of Chiefs.
Mr Sichalwe appealed to the House of Chiefs to help facilitate cordial working relations between traditional leaders and government.
A Minister of Chiefs who have no idea of the role of a Chief. They are only relevant during campaigns?
Its politicians that should stop engaging chiefs to promote their political parties. Sichalwe, have you noticed how politicians travel around the country chasing traditional ceremonies.
This man looks like an HIV-Aids case; In KK’s days, chiefs were in politics and they were very much relevant; it is him and his PF who’re irrelevant to the majority of Zambians;
But, chiefs are natural politicians! A chiefs is are political leaders of their communities. How can they not engage in politics, when their role is politics. leaders of political parties are artificial (man-made) politicians, while chiefs are politicians by birth. So, who is the more politician of the other? Politics = Governance activities.
When they engage in politics as supporters of your party are relevant, when they support others they cease to be relevant, awe uusula amasushi akshika pamusula.
When they engage in politics as supporters of your party they are relevant, when they support others they cease to be relevant, cacine uusula amasushi akashika pamusula.
If you ban chiefs from supporting and publicly endorsing the candidature of people from the ruling party, then they will also stop sympathising with the opposition parties. Similarly, when public media stop being biased to the ruling party, the private media will not be very relevant.