‘Kambwili was not ejected at Bwilile ceremony’
By NATION REPORTER CHISHIMBA Kambwili’s ‘gate-crashing antics’ are aimed at making Government look bad in the eyes of Zambians but this is an immature way of politicking, PF youths in Luapula have said.
Mr Kambwili claimed he was stopped from entering the main arena at this year’s Bwilile traditional ceremony of the Bwile people in Chiengi on instructions of guest of honour, Ronald Chitotela, whom he accused of having threatened to leave the ceremony if the Roan MP was not asked to leave.
He said that he was invited by Chief Puta himself to the arena and that he was surprised that he was sent away following orders from Mr Chitotela through the chief’s representative.
Mr Kambwili said the PF was scared that if he arrived at the arena, people would be chanting his name contrary to the PF’s assertions that the Roan MP was not popular. But in an interview yesterday, Luapula Province PF youth chairperson Chilufya Yankonde demanded that Mr Kambwili produces his invitation letter from chief Puta as evidence that he was invited to the ceremony.
Mr Yankonde said it was clear that Mr Kambwili’s decision to attend the ceremony even without invitation was simply to gate-crash and create confusion so that he could cry foul once people reacted.
He said it was illogical for Mr Kambwili to claim that he was ejected from the arena because the PF was scared of his purported popularity as though that was a political contest when the event was a traditional ceremony which had no political inclination whatsoever.
“Mr Kambwili must produce evidence that he was invited and then chased from the arena at the instruction of Mr. Chitotela because the chief cannot invite people by word of mouth.
The royal establishment wrote to Mr. Chitotela. It is just sad that Mr. Kambwili wants to politicise everything, including traditional ceremonies.
“Mr. Kambwili wanted to put himself on the programme where he was not there simply because he heard that Mr. Chitotela was the guest of honour. For him, that was not a traditional ceremony but a political contest and because he was not put on the programme, he left, claiming he was stopped from entering the main arena,” Mr Yankonde said.He advised Mr Kambwili to withdraw the court expulsion case so that he could face the PF in a by-election since he insisted he was popular.