President Rupiah Banda says there is need for the country to use its rich cultural heritage to promote national unity.
President Banda says despite having 73 tribes with their own culture and traditions, Zambians have continued to be one.
The President says that the richness of the cultural heritage of these different ethnic groups should make Zambia proud as a nation because this represents unity in diversity.
Mr. Banda was speaking in Chongwe today, when he officiated at the Chakwela Makumbi traditional ceremony of the Soli people of Chieftainess Mukamambo II at her at Makuyu Royal Palace.
The President said there was need for all Zambians to continue promoting unity and pride in the country.
Mr. Banda challenged the Soli people and all Zambians in general to preserve cultural events at they serve as important for a through which the communities can learn and assimilate useful customs, values and attitudes.
And President Banda said culture was also key to development.
The President observed that apart from its potential to safeguard the country’s traditions, culture can be used to promote tourism development, creative industries and local commerce.
Mr. Banda noted that there was need for the country to harness the potential of the cultural activities to create jobs for the people, especially in rural areas.
He said administration would continue supporting traditional ceremonies because it believes that no meaningful development can take place without culture.
And Senior Chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II, commended government for the many developmental project in the province and Chongwe district in particular.
Speaking through her principal advisor, John Luputa, Senior Chieftainess Nkomeshya, said her people were happy that government was working hard to improve their lives.
She also appealed to government to consider upgrading the Chalimbana Teacher’s College into a university.
The traditional leader said despite massive infrastructure, the college has continued to be underutilized.
She said over the years, the number of students at the college, established in 1939, has continued to reduce.
Senior Chieftainess Nkomeshya said the student enrollment rate now stands at 83 from the previous 500.
And Chakwela Makumbi National Chairperson, Noreen Mapala said the ceremony could not taker place last year, following the demise of late President Levy Mwanawasa.
Mrs. Mapala said the Basoli people in whose land President Mwanawasa’s remains lay, have now decided to release his spirit.
She thanked government for its support to the ceremony.
This year’s ceremony was attended by over 20 traditional leaders including Paramount Chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba.
Meanwhile, President Banda has called upon all traditional rulers in the country to play an active role in the fight against retrogressive vices in their chiefdoms.
Mr. Banda said as custodians of the country’s culture, chiefs should bring to the attention of their subjects, issues pertaining to the contemporary agricultural methods, girl child education, early marriages, HIV/AIDS, risky traditional practices such as sexual cleansing, spouse inheritance and spouse battering.
President Banda also appealed to traditional leaders to help sensitize their subjects on the dangers of deforestation.
ZANIS
Is this surely the only job the president can do: attending each and every traditional ceremony? No time to be in the office and attend to many issues which are in the ‘pending files’! maybe the office of presido is not as busy as we might think!
goodness. now that there’s no more summits out the country on the horizon, the next best thing are traditional ceremonies and beleive me, he will attend them all.
mr president it seems like you are good at observing than acting, i mean zambian culture is rich we know that, even before independence we knew that, black people had the balls to rule themselves. thats why tongas, bembas, lozis and every zambia can boast of there origin. for how long are you going to observe? how can you preach unity when your cadres are on a rampage attacking politicians and journalist? that college by 2011 election will still be where it is, a college not a university, imwe baku chongwe wake up, what economy is he going to setup there? chongwe should be the largest produce of cannabis which supplies lusaka. what other crops can these persant farmers produce? ask him to face lift your little town, atleast your daughters will have truckers to intertain. ABASH NATO PIPO!