[By Mwaka Ndawa and Edwin Mbulo]
JACK Kalala says it is wrong for Bembas or any other tribe to think they are kingmakers in Zambia.
But chief Mukuni of Southern Province says the Paramount Chief Chitimukulu was misunderstood on his comments on the Bemba and voting remarks.
Kalala said tribal remarks attributed to Chitimukulu that Bembas determine who should govern the country because they comprised 21 per cent of the Zambian population lacked substance and were capable of causing a national strife.
“The tribal claims attributed to chief Chitimukulu on Radio Mano were unfortunate and regrettable to have come from a traditional leader of his status. They were not only irresponsible and devoid of substance but also dismaying and injurious to national unity,” Kalala said.
“He is said to have claimed that Bembas composed 21 per cent of the Zambian population and had therefore always decided who became president of Zambia since 1964. He went on to claim that Bembas needed to organise themselves for 2021 and ensure they once more put a man of their choice who should serve the tribe’s interests.”
Kalala said it was a fallacy to allege that Bembas constitute the largest tribe and that they have played a decisive role in deciding who becomes president in Zambia.
He disputed claims that Bembas constitute 21 per cent of the country’s population as the statistics are false and cannot be a decisive factor in making a person a Republican President.
“It is not true that all the people from Northern and Muchinga provinces are Bembas. That is why all the chiefs in Northern and Muchinga provinces do not celebrate the Ukusefya pa Ng’wena traditional ceremony because they don’t consider themselves part of the Bemba tribe that celebrates it,” Kalala said.
“It is also not true that president Chiluba was Ushi but a Lunda from Mwata Kazembe. It is not all the people who come from Luapula who are Ushi.”
Kalala indicated that it was a misapprehension to praise Bembas or any other tribe to choose who should govern the country.
“It is a misconception to give credit to Bembas or any one tribe to be kingmakers in Zambia. Mr Simon Kapwepwe became vice-president with the support of Tongas and Lozis. President Mwanawasa won a landslide victory in 2006 without the support of Bembas who had opted to vote for Sata,” Kalala recalled.
“Upon being elected, president Mwanawasa said he was a president of all Zambians, regardless of how they had voted. He even proceeded to build a bridge at Chembe for the people of Luapula because he felt duty bound to do it for them as they were entitled to it and deserved it. Although Sata had the full support of Bembas in 2006 and 2008, he failed to win. He only won in 2011 when he had the support of the majority of Zambians from across the country.”
He said no tribe could claim to dominate in the country with different ethnic groups.
“With 72 tribes in the country, there is no single tribe that can claim to be singly in the majority. We are all segmented into small numbers to create a rainbow nation of different tribes,” he said.
“With the development of the inter-marriage culture across tribes, Zambia is increasingly becoming a nation of tribal crossbreeds. Gone are the days when people used to marry from their own tribe. There is no one Zambian at the moment that can claim to have no blood relatives from other tribes. We are becoming more and more interlinked which is healthy for the unity of our nation,”
Kalala also highlighted that he once dealt with a case of a young person who applied for a passport with the application form stating that her tribe was Lamba and that the district was Kasama.
“The application was initially rejected but I explained to the then deputy chief passport officer that the girl’s father was Lamba from Lufwanyama while the mother was from Kasama. The passport was eventually issued bearing the same details,” Kalala said.
He said it was unacceptable for Chitimukulu to promote tribal discord among his subjects.
Kalala added that people should be encouraged to vote for leaders who consider the plight of those that they govern.
“It is therefore unbecoming of chief Chitimukulu to be promoting tribalism among his subjects. He should instead be encouraging them to engage in productive economic activities for wealth creation and development of his chiefdom. Promoting tribal divisions or tribal hegemony does not add value to people’s good fortune or bring about progress. People need ideas that are progressive, constructive and beneficial to their society,” Kalala said
“People should be encouraged to vote for persons with reputable and impeccable leadership qualities and progressive ideas. Zambia needs leaders with a heart for the development of the entire country and the wellbeing of all Zambians regardless of their tribe, region of origin and the colour of their skin or political affiliation. Zambia needs inspiring leaders who will work to promote the interests of and for all Zambians, not of a particular tribe only.”
He said the tribal remarks uttered by Chitimukulu were not in national interest as they are offensive.
“Zambia needs progressive and constructive ideas. The chief needs to preach love and unity,” Kalala indicated
“We are all created in God’s image. We are all Zambians and equal. We should live in harmony and work together to develop our beautiful country endowed with abundant resources. We need collective national, not tribal or regional, solidarity to build and develop our country.”
“If we work together in unity, powered by love for one another, we can overcome, together, the many challenges that our nation is facing,” said Kalala.
Meanwhile, chief Mukuni says politics must conjoin Zambians and not divide them.
Butm chief Mukuni in a statement said Chitimukulu was misunderstood.
He said the cry of any traditional leader was that his subjects should never be duped by false promises made by politicians on economic and social development.
“Fellow citizens, the past few days have had a diversity of media platforms inundated with debate over what my personal friend, His Majesty the Chitimukulu, is claimed to have said or not said. This is a health debate that underscores why a robust media in a democracy must be harnessed than harassed. It encourages a wealth of ideas to be interrogated and competed for, and a way forward shaped for posterity. This is the way it should be,” he said.
“However, let me also add my personal opinion as a traditional leader, but most importantly as a citizen who wishes to exercise freedom of expression. His Majesty Kanabesa Mwinelubemba, of the Bena Lubemba traditional grouping, appeared to have been quoted out of context in some questions that were in most cases prompted and crafted by clever journalists that were interviewing him. The Chitimukulu expressed displeasure at his subjects who were not critically using the power of the vote in choosing quality and responsible leadership that would bring development to his chiefdom, and that they were usually duped by empty promises made by politicians. That’s a cry of every traditional leader who wishes to see economic and social advancement for his or her people,” chief Mukuni said.
He said that the Chitimukulu merely counseled the Bemba speaking people to emulate southerners better known as the people of Chuundu, whom he described as people who recognise the importance of voting than follow the false fantasies of politicians.
Chief Mukuni added that Chitimukulu actually never cited any political party which his subjects must particularly identify themselves with.
“As a matter of fact, he encouraged them to make their own choices, but based on quality leadership that would deliver and also protect their interests. Chitimukulu Mwinelubemba is an intellectual and an accomplished historian who appreciates the established norms and resolve of Southerners in using the vote to resoundingly register a grievance against any unjust establishment. In 1991 and 1996, the province registered a high turn out in support of late Fredrick Chiluba, a Bemba speaking candidate, who twice in the above years, polled a 100 per cent parliamentary vote in Southern Province, more than in his own home region of Luapula, and the MMD strongholds of Northern and Copperbelt Provinces, that still had pockets of UNIP,” he said.
Chief Mukuni added that it was from this historical perspective that he viewed the basis of the remarks by Chitimukulu to his people.
“…and instead of needlessly condemning him for other gaffes that were made, due to reporters’ prompting, let’s applaud His Majesty for the timely advice to his people, and as a matter of fact to all Zambians. The 21 per cent majority population the Paramount Chief may have made reference to, which has also drawn a lot of debate, is a combination of Luapula and Muchinga provinces, which are viewed as Bemba speaking, but not necessarily Bembas,” he said.
“As a follow up to the above assertions, it would therefore be very important to read history in its proper perspective in order to be correctly guided. The book ‘The tribes of Northern Rhodesia’ by W.V Brelsford, 1956 on page 31 may help to arouse further discussion: The Bemba numbering 145,000 are the second largest tribe in Northern Rhodesia. The Tonga, the only tribe to outnumber the Bemba are very mixed, whereas the Bembas are a homogeneous tribe’. Obviously to draw a correct and proper understanding of such a statement, one has to read the whole book and other books on the subject in question. The underlying factor however is that there’s no one tribe that is bigger than the rest of the nation,” chief Mukuni said.
He advised Zambians to strive to live as one people who celebrate their rich diversity and multifarious culture and languages as one nation under one God.
“Politics must not divide us but must instead conjoin us,” said chief Mukuni.