The House of Chiefs has appointed five Southern province chiefs to resolve the succession dispute in Senior chief Mweemba’s chiefdom in which four people have submitted their family trees to Sinazongwe District Council claiming to be the rightful heirs.
Speaking at the meeting in Maamba township, chief Munyumbwe who was the chairperson of the chiefs, said the House of Chiefs has appointed them to resolve the matter after getting the submission from the four contestants.
However, during their submission all the contestants who included Joe Siakalonga, Lason Siasokwe, Edson Shamu, and Frank Katele all claimed to be the true owners of the chiefdom.
The meeting resolved that the five chiefs who included, chief Munyumbwe, Chikanta, Chipepo, Sinadambwe, and Sinazongwe, should analyse the family trees and the submission of each candidate for them to decide who should be the Senior Chief Mweemba.
Chief Chikanta announced that the recommendation would be sent to the House of Chiefs who would in turn send their findings to Sinazongwe District Council to communicate to the candidates.
“We have to analyse all the submissions carefully before recommendations are made. We do not want to do it in a hurry. The report will go to the house of Chiefs and you will be told of the outcome,” Chief Chikanta said.
Earlier, Chief Munyumbwe told the four contestants to choose among themselves and to select one person to be the Senior Chief Mweemba.
The four contestants refused the chiefs idea that they would not manage since everyone wanted to be a chief and decided that the five chiefs should choose the right candidate on their behalf basing on the submission they had made.
In his submission Katela told the gathering that the Chiefdom of Mweemba originated from Simeja and he was the rightful owner to inherit it.
But senior Chief Sinazongwe reminded him that Simeja was sub-chief in the colonial days and at the time of recognising chiefs he was left out adding
Chief Sinazongwe said government also abolished the establishment of new chiefdoms.
Subula Sianyama who is also headman Siameja said the chiefdom of Senior Chief Mweemba should be changed to Siameja and be transferred from Kanchindu to Siameja.
Mr. Siakalonga who is also the brother to the late Senior Chief Mweemba who died last year, said he does not know Katele from Siameja as for the past 608 years they have not been in touch.
“We have just heard them now and we have no graves for their ancestors anywhere, we’re not related and our spirits are different,” Mr Siaklonga said.
Mr Siasokwe who walked in the room with his briefcase, a chart containing his family tree said he was in the blood line.
He said he was surprised that people from Siameja were claiming to be the rightful heir when Headman Siameja installed him to be the next.
But Headmen Siameja refused in the presence of the five chiefs even when Sinazongwe Council Secretary Oliver Muuka saw him when he brought Mr. Siasokwe’s first submission.
Chief Munyumbwe said headmen should not tell lies because it does not show respect.
The Chief said President Levy Mwanawasa wanted the matter to be addressed traditionally and he would not condone people telling lies even when they have changed their mind to support other candidates.
Mr. Shamu who had the longest submission told the meeting that all the candidates claiming to be chiefs were not his relatives despite all of them giving the same family tree.
Sinazongwe District Administrative Officer (DAO) Sokoloku Daka attended the meeting.
