President Hakainde Hichilema says unity among chiefs from within the country and across borders can help resolve differences before they culminate into conflicts.
President Hichilema notes that the unity exhibited by chiefs who attend traditional ceremonies for other tribes is a symbol of unity which he says can help resolve differences and foster development.
ZANIS reports that President Hichilema said this when he called on traditional leaders who were in Mkushi to attend the Ichibwela Mushi traditional ceremony of the Lala Swaka people of Luano, Serenje, Chitambo and Mkushi districts.
President Hichilema also stressed that the distribution of agriculture inputs to chiefs is intended to promote agriculture production by traditional leaders who he said should also encourage their subjects to produce.
He noted that there has been positive feedback on the distribution of agriculture inputs to chiefs in the country. “ We are grateful for the positive feedback, I want to state that this is the way going forward, we want you to be role models to your subjects, we shall continue to give you the inputs,” he said.
Mr Hichilema said that the government may consider increasing the amount of inputs to be given to the chiefs but that it can only be done once the government sees how the chiefs perform with the inputs that have been given to them.
President Hichilema said, “It is an initiative of the President, and it is something that has never been done in the past administrations.” Chairperson of the House of Chiefs, Chief Nkambo announced that all traditional leaders in the country have received
agriculture inputs.
Chief Nkambo said the chiefs are ready to start planting and serve as role models to their subjects. “We will not disappoint you, we want to enhance production and encourage our subjects to do better. We will be leading by example,” said Chief Nkambo.
The traditional leader also stated that chiefs want to lead in uniting the country by attending traditional ceremonies by different tribes.
“We want to support each other’s traditional ceremony and exhibit unity across tribe or ethnic groupings,” said Chief Nkambo.
Earlier, chairperson of the Central Province council of chiefs, Chief Chibale commended the government for including chiefs among beneficiaries of agriculture inputs saying the move will help improve production.
The traditional leader however appealed to the governmentto consider increasing the amount of inputs allocated to the chiefs. Chiefs Mukuni, Mumba, Chamuka, Lesa and Nalubamba were among traditional leaders at Chalata for the Ichibwela Mushi.
Four Lala Swaka chiefs from Congo DRC were among other traditional leaders who attended the annual cultural event where the Lala Swaka people celebrated their return from crop fields where they would camp from the time of cultivation till the time of harvest.
