Paramount Chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba people of Northern Province has bemoaned the voter apathy that characterized the past three presidential elections in Zambia.
Paramount Chitimukula said the country recorded a voter apathy of 48.33 per cent in 2011, 68.64 per cent in 2015 and 43.55 in 2016 a trend he said was not good for democracy.
In a speech read for him by Lufwanyama District Education Board Secretary Mambe Hamududu during the launch of the Movement for Voter Sensitization (MVS) at Moba Hotel in Kitwe yesterday, Paramount Chief Chitimukulu said the movement has been formed to address the challenge of voter apathy by sensitising people countrywide to register as voters and turn to vote in big numbers in the 2021 general elections.
” If the challenge of voter apathy is not addressed, this will destroy the essence of Democracy which demands the rule of the majority,” paramount chief Chitimukulu observed.
The Mwine LuBemba who is also the patron of the newly formed voter sensitization non-governmental Organization said the movement will also sensitize people against making tribal remarks and political violence.
He said the NGO will further encouraged women and youths to participate in politics and to hold their civic leaders accountable.
He explained that the NGO will work in collaboration with the Electoral Commission of Zambia which is already conducting voter sensitization.
And senior Chief Madzimawe who represented Paramount Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni people urged the New NGO to follow people even on social media so that they can be captured and participate in voting.
Chief Madzimawe noted that there are a lot of people who are active in political issues on social media but do not participate in actual voting.
And senior chief Kanongesha of the Lunda people of North-Western province said tribalism will not be entertained in his chiefdom urging all chiefs to embrace all political party leaders to campaign in their chiefdoms.
” There is no superior tribe in Zambia as we all fought for independence, if you deem one tribe superior, it means you are killing your nephews and nieces because you have intermarried, ” Senior Chief Kanongesha said.
Earlier, Chief Lumpuma of the Lamba people said women in his chiefdom think thank that they can only use their National Registration cards to get fertilizer under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) and note for voting hence the need to sensitize them so that they can participate in voting.
Chief Lumpuma also called on the new NGO to discourage the ferrying of political cadres from urban areas to rural areas by political parties during campaigns to avoid political violence.
And Chief Chikanta of the Tonga people of Southern Province urged all chiefs in the country to support the NGO to ensure that all eligible voters obtain NRCs and voters cards so that they participate in next year’s elections.
And Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary Bright Nundwe who was the guest of honour at the launch of the NGO, said it would be costly for the country to hold a re-run if non of the presidential candidates manage to get the 50+ 1 votes threshold hence the need to sensitize people to register as voters now and turn in large numbers to vote.
” A re-run would mean that money that was supposed to go towards developmental programmes and social amenities goes towards funding the election,” Mr. Nundwe explained.
He also stressed that it was important to ensure that peace and Democracy are upheld as the country goes to the polls in 2021 because without peace the country cannot develop.
The Copperbelt Permanent Secretary also challenged the new NGO to reach all parts of his province as it was the second largest in terms of population after Lusaka.
The New NGO aimed at sensitizing people on registering as voters and participating in voting is comprised on traditional chiefs from across the country, civil servants, businessmen and members of the clergy among others.
And the launch of the Copperbelt chapter yesteday was attended by 10 chiefs among them Paramount Chief Chitimukulu, Paramount chief Mpezeni who was represented by senior chief Madzimawe, Senior Chief Kanongesha, chief Chikanta, Chief Lumpuma, Chieftainess Malembeka and chief Ndubeni.
Others are chief Kalunkumya, Chief Nkana and Shimukunami of the Lamba people.
Foget this chief now. He is more concern about voting than the welfare of his people. Why is he not worried about seeds and fertilizer this season if he cares. Voters apathy wakwisa
He is not worried about voter apathy but regime change
Vincent Kyamasengo Kiki
Amos Masumbuko Chandwe kinetu
Mafumu amo!
Chitimukulu is not a true representative of the bemba people.
All PF members are worried because they don’t have plan. PF could have used money now to mobilize and ferry people to register for voting.
UPND have done this.
PF u are in trouble guys.
U have already failed. UPND will win because they have invested in voters registration.
It looks like we’ll have a good turnout this time around, what’s worrying is the conduct of the ECZ. So far its performance has been below par. All elections stakeholders are concerned, that includes the PF. So whose interests is the ECZ serving?
I’m also worried about PF. How can they fail to mobilize the people and register. We have indeed incompetent leaders in PF.PF is controlling Luapula,Northern,Muchinga,eastern and copperbelt,lusaka but they have failed to register numbers.I wonder if really my party have qualified people.so disturbing coz UPND is will win coz of registering their own people.100% of bantu botatwe have registered and you know the results.Why can’t PF call all councilors to visit all wards. Those aspiring and in positions should be involved in registering people.it would have been an easy victory for PF if it organized itself well.Ba Lungu wesu your MPs, councilors and PF leadership are failing you.Please tell the SG to register thousands in this two weeks.In Nchelenge people can’t even see ECZ in some…
That’s what happens when citizens feel neglected. A perception of a non inclusive governance system that is perceived to care more about foreign interests leads to apathy until when the citizenry wants regime change at all costs. Then voters turn up in numbers. So ask yourselves why people feel this way since you are part of the governance system.
This is not about voter’s apathy per say. This cadre of a chief is only interested in propelling the numbers for PF in the Northern, Luapula and Muchinga regions because he and PF knows his people aren’t safe motivated and do not turn up to vote as the UPND strongholds do. This so called Mwine Lubemba is a hard core troublist who despite the past detestive happenings between him and ECL/PF, does not want UPND to ascend to power and thus he has turned himself into a hard-core PF campaigning cadre. Sata was very much right on this fella, nit wanting him to be King, he is a divisive guy not fit even to be a headman, let alone paramount chief of Zambia’s largest ethnic grouping!
This Chief is a sham. No wonder ba SATA didnt like him. Thats why ECL when he was Home affairs Minister, sent cops there and this moron of a chief was shunted to a ramshackle
here is a guy@ MOSCOW OP openly preaching regionalism and tribalism on your platform ba LT, AND YOU ARE BUSY TURNING A BLIND EYE TO IT AND ENCOURAGING IT LIKE FELICIEN KABUGA. SO APPAULING WHAT KING OF MEDIA ETHICS ARE THESE IMWE BA EDITOR.
He should be more worried about the state of the national economy. That’s the real cause of voter apathy. People have little or no confidence in the Politicians.People dont seem to know why they are voting.
Voter apathy is inevitable when the gap between the haves and have-nots is too wide,and when tribalism,rampant corruption and political violence is not tackled.
Let him go back his palace and not to accept as a politcal vassel by PF who will go out with its entere Leadership.
The Chief must be happy to know that a Chief is thier to guide, protect and couns el subjects and not aubjects to use you as a tisaue.
Bembas must register
Yes, this kama greedy ever hungry begging chief has got every reason to be scared. Edgar can’t stand again and the ka small cieg has seen that the signals that ni HH chabe.
It cant now change it’s mind because of its childish and foolish behaviour.
Whatever happens, the change we want is coming and kanyanta can’t escape it whatsoever.