STRENGTHEN HOUSE OF CHIEFS, GOVT ADVISED

GOVERNMENT should strengthen the House of Chiefs to enable the institution resolve issues affecting chiefs in the country, says Forum for African Traditional Authorities of Zambia (FATAZA).

FATAZA general secretary, Chief Ishima Sankeni VI of the Lunda people in Zambezi, said the House of Chiefs was a white elephant.

Chief Ishima said the House of Chiefs had not been able to settle issues affecting chiefs like land disputes and succession wrangles because there was no legal framework to support its decisions. “What we want from the new government is to strengthen the House of Chiefs and as FATAZA we have seen that the House of Chiefs has been a white elephant because it cannot settle some of the land disputes and chieftainacy wrangles,” he said.He said in an interview that most chiefdoms were rocked with land disputes and succession wrangles which the House of Chiefs could have helped to address if it had legal backing.

Chief Ishima urged the UPND) government to give power to the House of Chiefs to enable it settle traditional matters.

“We feel so embarrassed that the traditional disputes which were supposed to be settled by the royal establishments through the House of Chiefs end up into the High Court and this is demeaning the institution of Chieftainship,” Chief Ishima said.

He advised the new government to work with all chiefs to ensure inclusive development especially in rural areas.

Chief Ishima appealed to government to rehabilitate feeder roads leading to chiefs palaces and farming blocks.

The new government, he said, should build more schools and health facilities in rural areas to reduce the rural-urban drift once such facilities are taken closer to the communities.“We as FATAZA, we pledge to work as usual with the government of the day and we will give them our support,” he said.