RB leadership impresses Chief Chisunka

Chief Chisunka of the Ushi speaking people in Mansa District says he is quite impressed with the way President Rupiah Banda’s administration is partnering with traditional rulers to foster national development.

The chief told ZANIS in a telephone interview yesterday that government under the leadership of President Banda is doing more to consult and work with chiefs in fostering development.

He said government has also gone farther by including royal highnesses to join government officials on trips outside the country to woo investors to Zambia.

He said the trips outside the country are important as they expose traditional rulers to the way other countries are approaching development.

[pullquote]“Many of my fellow royal highnesses have been given an opportunity to travel outside the country. Chiefs have been to Libya, China and now there is a trip to Korea, I appreciate what this government is doing as it is giving us exposure,” chief Chisunka said.[/pullquote]

He said involving chiefs on trips abroad have also made the royal highnesses to adequately represent the concerns of their subjects in negotiating investment deals that involve foreign investors taking up land for mining and other uses.

“Many of my fellow royal highnesses have been given an opportunity to travel outside the country. Chiefs have been to Libya, China and now there is a trip to Korea, I appreciate what this government is doing as it is giving us exposure,” chief Chisunka said.

He said there cannot be a better way to involve chiefs in matters of national development than increased consultation and making them to speak on behalf of their subjects with prospecting investors.

However, chief Chisunka said government should come up with a law that will ensure that chiefs are made signatories to all investment agreements that involve land concessions as they are the owners of the land.

The traditional ruler said coming up with such a law will prevent selfish politicians who might come and rule the country in future from indiscriminate land concessions with their foreign friends at the expense of local people.

“You see one time in future we might have selfish leaders who may come and just grab our land for minerals and water to their business friends at the expense of a chief and his subjects. We need a law that will make chiefs to be signatories to investment agreements that involve use of land in form of minerals and water, we are the owners of these things,” he said.

ZANIS