CHITIMUKULU never told the Bemba speaking people to vote for a Bemba president but anyone capable, says National Democratic Congress spokesperson Saboi Imboela.
Commenting on the outpouring of anger directed at Chitimukulu following his condemnation of his subjects’ apathy towards elections and lack of a strong political stand in national politics like their Southern Province counterparts, Imboela urged all chiefs in Zambia to encourage their subjects to take interest in national politics.
She stated that it was fact that Bemba speakers were the majority, going by the seven-tribe categorisation and therefore their votes make a difference on the Zambian political landscape.
“Before we judge words and what we think they mean, it is always important to look at the audience, media and context in which someone says something. So to me, the good chief is probably guilty of using mass media to say something that we all know most people say in private – but such talk should probably stay that way- private. There are many things that the Chitimukulu said which are very true which cannot be ignored and being overly sensitive about them will not change anything,” Imboela stated.
“…Whether you like that or not, it is a fact. The only problem would be if they use that vote to only vote for their fellow Bembas and not objectively look at who really is best for the job. But of course we know how tribal our politics are, so that is a story for another day. But the Mwine Lubemba never told his people that they should only vote for a Bemba but clearly said anyone who was capable. To me, all traditional leaders should actually encourage their subjects to vote. He said Bembas should vote in big numbers because they are 21 per cent [of the population] and they should be the ones to determine who the leader should be. Actually, from the last time I checked, the Bembas are even more than 21 per cent, so their hegemonic influence on the population and the vote is undeniable. The Chitimukulu said, ‘there is no segregation, we are the ones that chose Kaunda from Malawi, Chiluba and R.B.’ He further went on to say that anyone could lead as long as they played their games right. He lamented about his subjects’ lack of care about how things were going and stressed that people did not realise that it was that same vote that could change things. How right he is! And this is something Zambians need to take seriously; our vote determines how we live, or at least it should,” she added.
Imboela stated that Chitimukulu’s call to Bembas to end voter apathy and vote enmasse like their Southern Province counterparts should not be misconstrued to be tribal as the traditional leader was doing what should be done all over the country for people to exercise their rights to vote.
She stated that even the people of Southern Province who Chitimukulu praised do not vote in large numbers as they were largely perceived because most of them were not even registered voters.
“In 2016, there was an active drive to engage the people of Southern Province to vote and it worked out. In 2021, all political parties, traditional leaders and non-state actors should actually go out there and encourage people to vote. It is not only their right, but also duty to vote. People died for our generation to be able to vote, so people should never take such rights and responsibilities lightly. So the Chief must actually be commended for telling people to vote as long as he does not tell them to vote on tribal lines. And from that audio, he did not say that.”
Imboela stated that Chitimukulu’s complaints of lack of development in the area were everyone’s cry that there must a correlation between the way people voted and the way they lived.
She stated that the fact the Chitimukulu acknowledged that there was a problem of some traditional leaders selling land which would be a problem attracting investors was an indication that he looked at the whole development agenda holistically than it had been perceived.
Imboela also stated that traditional leader also talked about the problem of drinking by political leaders.
She stated that to prove his argument that there was lack of respect to traditional leadership by political leaders, Chitimukulu cited the diversion of development funds meant for Chinsali district and the K2 billion meant for the Kasama-Luwingu road that the MMD government then diverted to its convention.
“He complained that his subjects lacked commitment to usher in a leadership of their choice. He mentioned that out of a registered number of 150,000, only 50,000 would show up to vote and that was not good. He referred to this scenario as that of a useless majority that did not take advantage of the big numbers they had to elect the leaders that they wanted. He said it is not about begging and insults but the Bembas should use their 21 per cent wisely,” she stated.
“I will still give him a benefit of doubt that even these strong Bemba words did not mean putting the Bemba people above all else but simply a call for his people to turn up in large numbers to vote, especially that they were a majority. That said, the chief said that the Tonga voting patterns showed that they knew what they are doing but the Bembas were saying ‘olobatuteke bambi’ (this certainly needs further clarification). ‘Mukalila’- does he mean the Bembas will cry when they choose someone from another province or if they simply allow a bad leader to arise due to their voter apathy? This indeed needs further clarification. The people that have gone to town calling him a tribalist have already concluded that he meant the former. ‘Let me warn you, if this is the way you will be living, ‘the Bembaness’ will finish’- whatever that means. Do people also need clarity on ‘Kulanga bu Bemba kushipa’ or they have concluded that it is a tribal statement? Is that something inciting tribalism or a call for his subjects to be strong, or resolute, or what?”