Government warns partisan, divisive chiefs

GOVERNMENT will not tolerate partisan chiefs who are making divisive and tribal statements, Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo has warned.

He said any chief inciting the public to rise against the government would face the law.

"No one is above the law. They may have those primitive gadgets (charms) to scare people with, but once they break the law, the law is blind.

"We are asking the traditional leaders to be responsible and law abiding citizens. They are the people closer to the people," Mr Kampyongo said in an interview.

He said it was sad that some traditional leaders were issuing divisive statements aimed at inciting the people instead of playing a “fatherly” role.

He said Government had noted with concern that some chiefs in Southern Province had continued issuing divisive statements but warned that they risked being visited by the law.

Mr Kampyongo said some traditional leaders in the region had been peddling lies about the ongoing issuance of National Registration Cards (NRCs) due to their partisan stance. He has warned traditional leaders against divisive and acrimonious statements.

Meanwhile, Mr Kampyongo has challenged UPND Members of Parliament to be honest when dealing with national matters such as the ongoing issuance of NRCs.

He said it was disappointing that some MPs lied in Parliament that nothing was happening in their areas when several Zambians in Southern Province were being issued with NRCs.

The minister explained that he was forced to visit officers issuing NRCs in the province following allegations by UPND MPs that officers had not been working.