Don’t shun ceremonies, NAREP pleads with Lungu
By MUKOSELA KASALWE NAREP has pleaded with President Edgar Lungu to rescind his decision to boycott traditional ceremonies as they are a uniting factor.
Central Province chairperson Belington Mulenga said President Lungu should rescind his decision to stop attending traditional ceremonies due to accusations of segregation and politicking.
Mr Mulenga said President Lungu had made a passionate appeal some time back in Luapula Province for traditional leaders to come up with a proper time table that would give room to other traditional ceremonies to take place as opposed to the current situation were almost all traditional events were taking place on the same date or month.
In an interview at the weekend, Mr Mulenga said traditional ceremonies were a source of peace and unity and that there was need for dialogue if there were any differences between some chiefs and the government.
“As NAREP in Central Province, we plead with President Edgar Lungu to rescind his decision to stop attending traditional ceremonies in the country due to accusations of segregation and politicising traditional events,” Mr Mulenga said.
He said it did not augur well that sometimes even after invitation, no government representative would attend a traditional ceremony like was the case last month at the Ichibwela Mushi of the Lala speaking people of Central Province.
Mr Mulenga said although the decision by the Head of State would be well-meaning it would be misunderstood or misquoted by some sections of the society and that it was not too late to dialogue and come up with a mechanism for the government and traditional leaders to move on the same page which would build and develop Zambia.