Be proactive, House of Chiefs urged

By BENNIE MUNDANDO THE House of Chiefs should be proactive in resolving chiefdom rivalries and wrangles to prevent bloodshed such as what the bombing of Chief Mweemba’s palace, the Ngabwe Royal Establishment (NRE) has charged.

Unidentified people a fortnight ago petro-bombed the house in which Edison Shamu, 67, (Senior Chief Mweemba), Clement Hantobolo, 37, Paul Sinakatongo, 48, and Mubita Mubita, 19, all of Kanyemba village were sleeping.

The four sustained serious burns and were rushed to Maamba District Hospital where they were referred to Livingstone General hospital. Mubita, the youngest of the victims, died on the way to the hospital.

Those behind the burning of the chief’s house are believed to be members of the loyal family from a rival group which was opposed to the installation of Mr. Shamu as senior chief Mweemba.

Following a near decadelong succession dispute after the death of then senior chief Mweemba, Isaac Siachamweka, in 2007, Mr. Shamu was installed last year but the discontentment from the rival group was not completely quenched.

Speaking to the Daily Nation yesterday, NRE spokesperson Dennis Mubanga said the developments in Southern Province and many other parts of the country that had experienced an unprecedented number of succession wrangles had exposed the House of Chiefs as a too passive and hence the need for the institution to pull up its socks.

Mr. Mubanga said there was a lot of mischief in certain chiefdoms as partisan politics had infiltrated them and created more problems where some chiefs were forced on the people while some who were legally there were being fought by some rival groupings while the House of Chiefs watched.