PARAMOUNT Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni people of Eastern Province says he has accepted Government’s apology over police’s cancellation of a meeting he was to address over a land settlement dispute between the Ngonis and the Chewas in Chipangali on Sunday.
And Paramount Chief Kalonga Gawa Undi of the Chewa people of Eastern Province has appealed to traditional leaders and other stakeholders who have little or no knowledge of the Chewa and Ngoni history to desist from making uninformed statements on the matter because it can be a breeding ground for hostility.
Paramount Chief Mpezeni has invited Government to visit his palace to formalise the apology.
And chief government spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili has promised to visit paramount chiefs Mpezeni and Gawa Undi over the weekend to physically apologise to them.
“I am physically going there over the weekend to pay a courtesy call on both Gawa Undi and Mpezeni,” Mr Kambwili said in an interview yesterday.
He said Government is grateful that the two traditional leaders have accepted the apology.
And Paramount Chief Mpezeni said in a telephone interview from his palace yesterday that: “Some people here want to de-campaign President Lungu by antagonising us, the traditional leaders. Let Government come in person and apologise.”
Paramount Chief Mpezeni said he has accepted Government’s apology but merely wants it formalised.
He wondered why Eastern Province permanent secretary Chanda Kasolo, who had earlier given him permission to address his subjects, later changed his mind.
“People here want to make President Lungu look bad. But I know that the President is well informed,” he said.
And Paramount Chief Mpezeni’s induna George Zulu said in a separate interview that the traditional leader has accepted Government’s apology.
Mr Zulu said Paramount Chief Mpezeni is happy that Government has apologised because he does not want to depart from the path of working with Government.
“I am happy with this honest apology by Government. This is dignifying but it is also an eye-opener that Government and the traditional leadership need to find a lasting solution to this problem so that the two people can continue to live in harmony as they have always done,” Paramount Chief Mpezeni said.
Paramount Chief Mpezeni wants to meet President Lungu and to brief him on the matter in case he was misinformed.
“We want to continue to co-exist. This problem does not need a political solution but an administrative one so that we can continue to live in harmony,” Paramount Chief Mpezeni said.
The traditional leader also urged Government to thoroughly investigate what transpired to establish the truth and tell President Lungu because some security wings have denied using force to disperse the people.
“I wish to appeal to our people in Chipangali to remain calm because this matter will be resolved amicably in the best interest of all,” Paramount Chief Mpezeni said.
On Wednesday, Mr Kambwili apologised to the paramount chief and the Ngoni people for the police action.
But Paramount Chief Gawa Undi, through his spokesperson James Chirwa, has said that: “If indeed the police stopped that meeting from taking place, we feel that was the right thing to do.”
This was said at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday.
Paramount Chief Gawa Undi said while he enjoys peaceful coexistence with all other neighbouring tribes, Paramount Chief Mpezeni should not go and install a councillor in Chipangali, a Chewa territory.
He said the action taken by the police should not have been a surprise because the provincial leadership had advised that the Ngoni meeting should not go ahead citing security reasons.
“I further call upon all the Chewa to remain calm and not take the law into their own hands,” he said.
Forgive them Your Royal Highness, for they do not know what they are doing. The PF and Edgar do not know if they are moving forward or backwards. They have no plan.
Does Mpezeni know that hunting of big cats is allowed now? Dressing up like that in picture, he might be mistaken to a wild cat.
We were informed that the meeting was in breach of the POA. The POA is administered by the Police. Today, the government is apologizing on behalf of the Police. It’s all in an effort not to antagonize the Chief in whose chiefdom are Parliamentary by elections. Well; to the embarrassment of the Government Provincial leadership who earlier on defended the cancellation of the meeting. Don’t mess with Chiefs, you end up apologizing; recall the Chitimukulu saga?
Nonsense . Paramount Chief Gawa Undi is more respected and can raise an army of 100,000 + nyau dancers .
Kambwili is quick to apoligise to Mpezeni an individual yet Chama insults all Tongas & Kambwili finds it not neccessary to apologise!
is it in order to ensure a few more votes for PF are captured in Petauke & in 2016 general elections?
Mpezeni is not a mere individual. He is a Paramount Chief and leader of the great and proud Ngoni people.
Kambwili was alive to this fact. He was giving the respect due to the great Chief. Please respect other people chiefs. We respect your chiefs. If you are brought up in way in which you do not respect seniors in society, then you have problem fitting into the general Zambian culture. I keep repeating this, this is one of the missing cogs in wheel of UPND, lack of respect for elders and other people who are not Tonga. If the party fails to address this by educating its membership, HH will remain estranged by the majority voters and remain on the political fringes. Never to achieve his presidential ambitions.
I think the Chewas should not take a recessive role here. Chief Mpezeni thinks he can make decisions on Chewa Territory. Never.
We should not set any wrong precedence here.
Chewa is a very big community compared to Ngoni and it’s wrong for Ngonis to think that the can overstep without comment.
Chifundo Chinapha Nkwali.
Ngonis stole Nsenga women and settled on a small portion of Chewa land. Chipata District is Chewa majority 80% Ngoni 20% or even less. Chewas are in Chipata, Chadiza, Katete, parts of Lundazi and parts of Sinda. Mpezeni should not start something he cant finish. He knows that Paramount Gawa Undi, the most important chief in Eastern Province wont accept his nonsense! He is luck he should have been whipped and beaten. Next time Gawa will raise a force of 10,000 + nyau dancers to pounce on Mpezeni….
What do you call this, tribalism or clanialism. Same people want to fight. You only hear of such in North Western (Lunda vs Luvale), Eastern (Ngoni vs Chewa), Western (Lozi vs Mbunda / Nkoya). Never in Southern or Northen which has more subtribes.
There you go with you ever tribe rantings. W#hy do you think that the Tongas are a super tribe in Zambia. So you UPND guys cannot reason beyond tribalism.
When people tell you that HH and UPND are tribal you refuse. But this is very true. This what will forever stop HH and his tribal UPND from forming GRZ.
We know how you Tongas behave even if you say have money. You are so stingy and unkempt. That is why people say that the street of Lusaka will be filled with cow dung.
People of Eastern province are integrated, they will be able to solve this problem. Concentrate on your tribal UPND and HH. Other tribes have moved away from the current Tonga position. It goes to show how backwards you are.
Don’t comment on issues you don’t understand. Which Lozis are you talking about?
This Mpezeni is just become a useless chief. He thinks by being nice to Lungu he can continue with his mad games! He is now history for being partisan. What a useless chief the Ngonis have got.
Jeromy, you are an ass hole. Why should you insult our chief in this manner. All chiefs in Zambia are registered voters and it is their democratic right to side with a candidate of their choice. Your Tonga chiefs and leaders openly supported HH in the other elections. What do you call them? fools and useless too?
Some of you Tonga guys are getting out of hand with you tribal support for HH were you call bad names to anyone who supports EL. This is being backward. You cannot force people to like HH by insulting them.
No wonder it is not difficult to tell whenever a Tonga is in a city like Lusaka. You behave like you have just come from Ingombe Illede times. This 2015 and you are still in Neanderthal times.
Do not bring you useless tribal attitude to the Ngonis. Stupid *****s..