Road upgrade excites Solwezi civic leader

By JACKSON MAPAPAYI A PLANNED meeting to discuss the Matebo chieftainship wrangles scheduled for this month end in North Western Province has been stopped by government.

This follows a request by Senior Chief Mukumbi of the Kaonde-speaking people of Kalumbila requesting the Provincial Chiefs Affairs office to arrange for a meeting to discuss the matter.

But the Provincial Chiefs Affairs officer Clement Phiri has turned down the request stating that the matter has already been resolved by the Ministry of Chiefs and Tradi- tional Affairs in which Chief Matebo (Evans Nyeleti) was reinstated on government subsidy.

In a letter dated 6th February 2018, Mr. Phiri refused to arrange for a meeting stating that the matter was dismissed by the courts of law.

‘’This is to avoid possible contempt of court against government by the Matebo Royal Establishment,’’ the letter read in part.

Meanwhile, the Matebo Royal establishment has commended government for settling the dispute amicably.

In a statement by the Establishment chairperson James Chandamali and made available to the Daily Nation, the royal establishment noted that the wrangles which started in 2007 have negatively affected the development of the chiefdom.

Mr Chandamali said the stance taken by government is welcome and will be supported by all the people in the chiefdom.

‘’As a Royal Establishment we wish to pledge our support to the government of the day which is the Patriotic Front under the leadership of president Edgar Lungu,’’ he said.