PARAMOUNT Chief Mpezeni (left) of the Ngoni has defended himself from accusations of political bias, saying the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) “grossly misunderstood” his message to his subjects at the Patriotic Front (PF) rally in Chipata.
Last week, the ECZ condemned the traditional leader for appearing at a political rally addressed by President Sata.
Chief Mpezeni said in an interview yesterday from his palace that the ECZ issued a statement without understanding his message.
“Aliye mvwishishe venelabila mu ci Nyanja [the ECZ misunderstood my message to the people],” he said.
He said the ECZ has no authority to stop him from advising his people and dismissed claims by the commission that he took a partisan stance.
Chief Mpezeni said he went to the rally in recognition of President Sata and paid a courtesy call on him when he was in Chipata and that it was prudent for him to be present at the President’s meeting.
“The President and his people came to my palace to see me,” he said. Why shouldn’t I be present when the President is talking to my people?” he asked.
“The ECZ has no power to stop me from talking to my people.”
Chief Mpezeni said he did not commit any wrong by advising his subjects because he has a duty to provide wise counsel to his people.
He said the PF government understands the suffering of the people and is trying to reduce poverty.
“I simply said the PF has resources and capacity to foster development in Chipata, which is true. I never took a partisan stance. I was neutral,” he said.
He said as traditional leader, he will continue to guide his subjects even in the future, so that they do not take a wrong path.
Meanwhile, Chief Mpezeni has urged newly elected MMD member of Parliament Mtolo Phiri to develop the constituency because that is what the people want to see.
He said some roads in Chipata need urgent attention.
“Lomba a Mtolo Phiri awina, tifuna alete misewo kuno. [Now that Mr Phiri was elected as MP, we expect him to facilitate road development in Chipata],” he said.
it okay they lost
MPENZENI SHOULD BE CAREFUL THE WAY HE RELATES WITH SATA. MPENZENI SEEMS TO BE SATA’S CADRE.
Empty Can….
Ba chief. STOP being a cadre. Chief at a rally??? Respect yourself. Real chiefs are respectable. Don’t be used by politicians.
Proper cadre!!! He is most of the time at State House to clean Sata’s shoes.
What will Mpezeni say which we are going to believe?
Please forgive the big man. Am sure he licking his wounds. We want more bye elections especially in urban areas. These are mid term elections.
He lives in his illusioned world of saying anything without understanding it,just pay him he will be against sata .his a money maker.
Your message can be still b heard even by using acceptable vocabulary. Its unfair to insult sm1 who cnt insult back. Mpezeni might have wrong, but its also wrong to verbally abuse him. No two wrongs will eva make a right!
Mpezeni and his people.Teti wishibe.
Do we sill have ‘subjects’ this age? We have citizens of the Republic of Zambia. Mpezeni has no people. The people belong to God. Why do these Mfitis believe they own people?
Talking to my people on a political campaign meeting.
It is good for any normal human being to say sorry when you make a “mistake” and people will believe and forgive you. Do not try to justify your mistake. Namwe Amfumu nkalani tyala, chifukwa tikutukaneni!
Those are Gods people not mpezenis,they know that,thats why they disregarded him.It is GRZ that must build roads not political parties per se.
“WALILA MVULA ..WALILA MATOPE”. THEREFORE MPEZENI SHOULD BEHAVE HIMSELF OR ELSE WE SHALL TREAT HIM THE WAY WE TREAT CADRES.AND THERE WILL BE NOTHING LIKE “ABA NI AMFUMU”.
How?
he who cries for rains, should be prepared to wade in mud too.
How does a paramount chief pay a courtesy call on a visiting politician? Its the politicians who should pay a courtesy call on a chief at his palace. Mpezeni should also learn to use representatives to speak on his behalf in public fumctions. He needs to learn from the Litunga, Chitimukulu etc
I am wondering if Mpezeni was criticised by the ECZ when he campaigned for former President Ruphia B Banda. It was the same inkhosi who advised the people to vote for ‘akulu mphuno.’
He was giving this opinion at his house to close people who included his indunas. It was not a public rally. Even ECZ or Military personnel is allowed to say such in private.
Lets not dwell on the past learn to move on in life. A wrong in the past is still a wrong now. What is your point baba.
Well your people told you to F.U.C.K off
The vote was indeed a very polite way of telling the chief to P.I.SS OFF!
Very funny – his people did a Dora finger on the diseased, drunken child defiler.
Mbanje a mfumu….ungoni muleke nkosi!
Grundix, I do recall that he was also criticised for “campaigning” for RB. Its either the big man does not listen to his advisors or they are afraid of advising him.
As 4 paying courtesy on the President, perhaps that is allright in the Ngoni tradition for a Chief to follow a visitor and greet him. In other cultures in Zambia the visitors report themselves to the palace and pay homage. I saw this at The Mwata, Chief Mwamba, Chief Mukuni and the Litunga. In the case of the Litunga we had to make an appointment a day before and we were given the time to be at the palace in Limulunga on time. It was easier to see the Mwata at short notice because we had a very close relative of his in our delegation who was a senior politician at the time. So, practices differ from one chiefdom to…
Inkosi ya ma Nkosi take a leaf from your immensely learned colleague (for a chief) Paramount Chief Kalonga Gawa Undi presiding in three countries for the Chewas. Ever heard him cheapen himself? Politicians follow him not vice versa. Pa! I wish I wasn’t Ngoni.
Instead of apologising, Mpezeni is trying to justify a wrong. He should just admit that he breached the constitution. People are not stoping him from talking to and advising his subjects but it is the manner in which all was done. He cannot parade himself at a political rally and tell people to vote for a particular candidate because that amounted to being involved in campaigns. It is laughable for Mpezeni to claim that he was neutral even though he stood to advise people to vote for Mangani. Where is his neutrality here? Let this be a lesson to him that you cannot force people to vote for a particular candidate because the vote is always secret. Now he has embarrassed himself because the person he did not support is the one who has won the elections. So, what now!
he has cheapened himself even further (if that is at all possible) even in the eyes of the ones he was boot licking. I doubt Ukwa will waste his time with him anymore as he clearly has no clout on the voting patterns in Chipata.
I have never heard the chief speak english, maybe it is lack of education. No normal chief can behave the way the man did.
Nkosi yama khosi. Speak to your people at any other forum than at a Campaign Rally.
I totally disagree with you on this matter of speaking to your subjects at a PF Rally. It’s totally unacceptable.
Mpezeni has shown that even his so called people have stopped listening to him hence the PF loss. Shame on you Sir Mpezeni. As if 24/7 drunkenness is not enough!
The hatred in some of these comments is astounding. Let’s hope these embittered souls never return to Zambia
Afumu aya ma politikisi ameletelele. Leave them to politicians.
Have u ever seen Chitimukulu, Litunga n Kazembe addressing political rallies?
Abdicate Mpezeni. Leave that esteem throne to those who deserve it.
Paramount Chief Mpezeni cunningly succeeded to convince President Sata into believing that Mpezeni rules the whole Eastern Province. The truth is that Mpezeni is only Chief of the Ngoni people who just cover an area encompassed by a radius of about 50 km from Chipata. The Ngoni go as far as Chiwoko on GERd west of Chipata; they are found up to about 30 km along the Lundazi Rd; found up to Mchinji (less than 30 km from Chipata; and a small sector of Chadidza District. The areas outside this zone is mostly inhabited by the Chewa under Paramount Chief Undi, whose people extend into Tete Province of Mozambique and the Central Province of Malawi. Areas of Petauke and Nyimba are inhabited by Nsengas; Mambwe is inhabited by Kundas. Hence PF has wrong data to bank on Mpezeni’s influence.
Ati my people ukuibepa – God’s people and who gets wise counsel from a dissillutioned defiler. Ondoka
echo tulandila,abena chipata tabakwata amano.
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