THREE INJURED IN CHIEFTAINESS MUNGULE’S VILLAGE SUCCESSION ROW
By NATION REPORTER THREE people were on Tuesday injured in a succession dispute has hit Chieftainess Mungule’s Chinkonkoto village over the rightful heir to the village throne.
On Tuesday, there was chaos at a meeting called by Chieftainess Mungule’s committee to decide the rightful successor between enthroned Margaret Munguwu and one Boyd Mbasela.
The fracas turned Chieftainess Mungule’s Kakoma palace into a battle ground, leaving three people injured.
In an interview, Mr. Mbasela accused Ms. Munguwu’s cousin, Isaiah Mayembe of using dubious ways to crown her as village headwoman.
Mr Mbasela, who was a grandson of the founding village headman, explained that Mr. Mayembe’s late father was the immediate past village headman and after his death in April last year, family elders chose him (Mr. Mbasela) as the successor.
He said he was later taken to Chieftainess Mungule for traditional rituals and that after the rites were performed, Mr. Mayembe turned around and chose Ms. Munguwu as the rightful heir.
Mr. Mbasela said according to the Lenje matrilineal succession tradition, Mr. Mayembe could not be chosen as Chinkonkoto village headman, hence his alleged dubious move to install his cousin as village headwoman.
“The founder of the village was my grandfather on my mother’s side. He died in 1962 and then elders in the family looked around the family tree and chose Isaiah Mayembe’s father as headman until his death in April last year,” Mr Mbasela said.
He said when the two parties were called for a hearing at the palace on Tuesday, Mr Mayembe's brother, Brian started a fight that left headman Mutangama and two others injured shortly before the hearing.
“This Isaiah is masquerading, he has enthroned Margaret Munguwu as Chinkonkoto village headwoman but she does not come from the Nongo Clan, the owners of the village,” Mr Mbasela said.
He said he took the matter to the House of Chiefs and later wrote to the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs on the same.
“I copied to Chibombo district commissioner and to the Inspector General of Police because Mr. Mayembe has been beating people over this issue” Mr. Mbasela said.
But Mr. Mayembe accused Mr Mbasela of trying to take over the village headship through violent ways.
Mr. Mayembe alleged that Mr Mbasela had been conniving with former Katuba member of Parliament Jonas Shakafuswa to unseat Ms. Munguwu and replace her with Mr Mbasela.
But when contacted, Mr Shakafuswa accused Mr Mayembe of causing unnecessary confusions in the chiefdom.