Chief Munkonge of the Bemba people in Kasama says traditional leaders are very upset with President Edgar Lungu’s initiative to scrap off the tribe and origin of individuals on National Registration Cards (NRC).
Speaking from his palace when opposition UPND Vice President Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba Sunday evening, the traditional leader said the suggestion is ill, unacceptable and will not work in Zambia.
He says origin of a person on their NRC is important as it gives traditional pride and identity to individuals.
The Chief reveals that he has spoken to about 15 other traditional leaders from the Province who have also refused the suggestion and have since planned to meet Republican President Lungu over the matter.
And Chief Munkonge says the traditional leader’s will refuse vehemently to give out traditional land to Government as that is against the their beliefs.
Chief Munkonge notes that manoeuvres to have traditional land taken over by Government will not succeed as it is also one way of getting into conflict with the traditional leadership.
He warned that government should consider otherwise getting land from the traditional leadership.
Meanwhile the Chief says his chiefdom has been denied development due to his relation with opposition UPND Vice President Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba.
He claims government has not attended to his plight to electrify his chiefdom or indeed any development because of his relation with Mr. Mwamba.
The traditional leader complained that people of his area are also Zambians that need development like seen in other parts of the country.
He further claims his arrest and detention last year was at the instruction of President Lungu as the Head of State is the only one that has powers to can command Police to arrest any traditional leader.
The UPND Vice President visited the traditional leader and was accompanied by Secretary General Mr. Patrick Mucheleka among others.
Earlier in the day, Dr. Mwamba attended Mass at Kasama Cathedral Catholic Church before proceeding to join congregants at Radiant International Church.
At both Church gatherings, Dr. Mwamba called for peace and unity among members if the community and the nation in general.
He said the country needs peace for it to develop.
MUKONGE SPEAKING LIKE A CARDER….HE IS GBM’S BROTHER ANYWAY
NO. 1 NRCS ARE NATIONAL HERITAGE, A WONDERFUL ID – TO UNDERSTAND THE FIELDS ON IT, YOU NEEDED TO HAVE BEEN THERE WHEN EVERY ZAMBIAN WAS REQUIRED TO MOVE WITH ONE IN THE KAUNDA ERA.
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We are not ashamed of details on NRCs. Matter of facts I take pride of every detail on it. Whatever fears ECL has are pretty much subjective and does not reflect national interest at all, at all. Whatever problem the PF GOVERNMENT has with the NRC structure should be treated as there wishful thinking. Our NRCs agree with our nomenclatures. Next you will ask us to drop our sir names. Let double H be Hakainde and Edith be Nawakwi so we could identify them accordingly. For the second time leave the innocent card the he’ll alone.
NO. 2 WE ARE USED TO THESE SORTS OF REPORTING. NEXT WE SHOULD HERE THE CHIEF REPUDIA
In the kaunda era people were required to move with an NRC? Unama it was just like today. In colonial times a situpa was required
CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT ZAMBIAN CHIEFS HAVE EVER DONE FOR THEIR SUBJECTS?
THE SAME CHIEFS SOLD THEIR SUBJECTS TO SLAVE TRADERS FOR BEADS AND A FEW GUNS (AND A MIRROR)
WE GOT OUR INDEPENDENCE THROUGH POLITICIANS WHILE OUR CHIEFS WERE KOWTOWING TO THE COLONIAL MASTERS.
THE SAME CHIEFS ARE ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ELECTRIFICATION OF THEIR PALACES
THEY HAVE SOLD VAST TRACTS OF LAND TO CHINESE
WESTERN PROVINCE IS SO UNDER-DEVELOPED BECAUSE THE LITUNGA HAS TOO MUCH POWER THERE WHICH HE EXPLOITS FOR HIS GLORIFICATION AND THE SO-CALLED ROYAL ESTABLISHMENT.
CHIEFS SHOULD BE BANNED AND SENT TO THE MUSEUM AND REPLACED BY ELECTED VILLAGE COUNCILLORS
I tried to read the story with sympathy and understanding until I saw the name GBM. Then I realised it was all upndeez. And the chief claims that he spoke to 15 other chiefs who agree with him. All hogwash, chiefs in Zambia have been given direct access to the Head of State and do not have to speak through Chief Munkonge or indeed GBM to air their grievances. GBM and upndeez do not recognise the President so how does he convey any message to a President he does not recognise? If the story is true this Chief must be uncharacteristically daft for a bemba chief.
Or maybe GBM raised the topic mischievously as usual and the chief was responding without thinking, instead of just saying we have engaged the President. Daft all the same if a chief can be led by GBM.
And look at this “Earlier in the day, Dr. Mwamba attended Mass at Kasama Cathedral Catholic Church before proceeding to join congregants at Radiant International Church.
At both Church gatherings, Dr. Mwamba called for peace and unity among members if the community and the nation in general.
He said the COUNTRY NEEDS PEACE FOR IT TO DEVELOP”. Really? Was this GBM speaking? Must have been responding to advice from the Bishops and Reverends and elders, who must be concerned that their son has gone astray with his opposition boss or is under an evil spell. Either way, GBM risks…
….. Either way, GBM risks being fired by h.h for such reconciliatory words, unless of course it is pretence and cheating people while they are visiting bemba. Misinformation by upndeez as usual. Go to Kenya and take free lessons in civilised politics, is it not Kenya which h.h and upndeez were praising just a few months ago for the opposition?….kikikiki…yaba! Is anything gonna work right for h.h?
NO. 2 WE ARE USED TO THESE SORTS OF REPORTING. NEXT WE SHOULD HEAR THE CHIEF OR OTHER CHIEFS REPUDIATING THE STORY ATTRIBUTED TO HIM/THEM. MAYBE HE GOT PAID. ONE SURE STUNT OF POLITICAL MILEAGE.
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Antagonistic behaviour. Allowing a chief to sound Anti-GOVERNMENT with impunity. Maybe the story is skewed. Chiefs mind what you say these days ooh! We have technology to hide mics that pick your voices as these power hungry wolves bribe you just to get a negative story out’ a you. When a voice is embedded on a social media article, there is no room to repudiate. The wolves would have earned political leverage. The Ministry of Information should sensitive and safeguard the usually unsuspecting vulnerable chiefs out there against this ploy. This is disservice to the…
… chief. I bet on your life, the chief got played. I can’t blame the chief. Stop influencing chiefs this NRC issue is just one’s expressed opinion.
SANITY AS WE DO OUR POLITICS – DOES ETHICS APPLY TO POLITICS. IF YES WHAT KIND’A ETHICS.
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It is incumbent upon everyone in this country to engage in constructive other than destructive politics. After all is said and done I feel for the Chief if that is really his voice. I take this opportunity to appeal to Government to take and handle this report cautiously and engage in a meaningful mature objective resolution. The embedment of those voice clips were deliberate. Whether the Chief was aware or not, that is a thought for another day. But strictly speaking the subject’s consent to being recorded was vital unless we have politics as usual at our bare hands. I await the Government’s constructive and levelheaded response to this.
Don’t mess with our identities! Just leave the “tribe, village on the NRC”. Is it because of Dora’s co-bine, or all those Ethiopians friends of yours, that you are are trying to protect? Scared that them and your Lebanese founders will DEFINITELY be deported after your tenure of office ends?
I am from Mbeleshi, Mwansabombwe or Bweupe… Just mention those names, and one knows exactly where I come from and who my chief, chiefdom is. Please!
The tribe thing on identities of natives was a divide and rule tactic by the colonialist and some of you natives are proud of it. Tell me how you benefit from having the name of your Chief on your NRC?
Chief Please understand the subject matter. The Zambian ID has the following information
1. Republic of Zambia National Registration Card
2. Card No
3. Full Name
4. Date of Birth
5. Place of Birth
6. Sex
7. Village
8. Chief
9. District
10. Special Marks
11. Registration Date
12. On the other side or page it has the following
01. Photo of the bearer/ holder
02. Registration Number
03. Signature of Registration Officer
04. Signature of Holder
05. Right thumb print of Holder/ bearer
I got my ID on 19th April 1978 in Nakonde then Isoka district but am not Namwanga by tribe and there is no where it shows my tribe.
Please, change the details for only the Palibe Future(PF) members if needed and leave the patriotic Zambians alone with there proudly details. . .ECL what’s the excitement about!!!!
The NRC is ok The way it is. Tribal identity or tribal grouping is not the cause of ethnic conflicts or genocide as claimed by ECL but rather the root cause is the desire by other tribal groupings to dominate other tribes or consider them insignificant as was the case in sudan and Rwanda. People should be identified through the details on the NRC.
The tribe thing on identities of natives was a divide and rule tactic by the colonialist and some of you natives are proud of it. Tell me how you benefit from having the name of your Chief on your NRC?
What identity when the chief himself is wearing West African attire?
The chiefs need to be proactive for their people. It’s empirical evidence that when less informed people are sitting on something that the government or powerful people want, they’ll take it with Impunity.
Look what is Happening in DRC.