Sinazongwe Chief calls for toughening of royalties

Chief Sinazongwe of the Tonga people has charged that the investors exploiting the natural resources in his chiefdom will have to start paying royalties to ease the high poverty levels in the district.

 

The Chief said at the launch of the MALIKO Community Development Trust at his palace that he could not continue to be a beggar to the investors.

 

“I have been a stupid chief without having a tradition constitution, from now no investor will get free land and they will be paying royalties either monthly or yearly. All business of any kind will have to pay royalties,” the Chief said.

 

He said he could not be a proud chief because of the poor infrastructure in the district which has not been developed for the past 48 years.

 

Chief Sinazongwe noted that his chiefdom lacks a hospital, a high School, good roads, good government infrastructure, and electricity in the villages.

 

 The chief pointed out that the only infrastructure that the district has was the Boma offices and the fisheries Training centre

 

Chief Sinazongwe bemoaned that out of the 1,500 people in his chiefdom he was the only one enjoying electricity while the rest were in darkness.

 

“I can not be happy I have no power in my villages, I can not go to Kafwambila because the road is impassable, I cannot cross the Lake Kariba to visits my brothers because I have no means and we have no boarder,” Chief Sinazongwe said.

 

He urged the investors to view the MALIKO Community Development Trust that would be in charge of collecting royalties on behalf his chiefdom from a different point of view because they were in partnership.

 

Chief Sinazongwe explained that the money realised from the royalties would not be dipped into someone’s pocket as he always ensured that funds were disbursed to the intended purpose.

 

He said the district should not continue to wallow in poverty when there were many investors reaping the natural resources without paying back to the owners of the land.

 

“Why should we be suffering, don’t we have natural resources in the chiefdom, even in villages you will be paying royalties, because you brew ‘Kachasu” a local bear that distruct our people and two percent of it should  be for royalties,” the Chief said.

 

The Chief noted that it had taken time to come up with the trust which was started in 2004 and was now registered under the Registrar of Societies.

 

The chief who has traveled to Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, and Israel with the help of Woman Change said he gained a lot on how other chiefdoms were using their natural resources to develop their areas through royalties.

Kapenta Fishing Association Chairperson Johann Jordann noted that there was need to change, to start paying royalties for the sake of security, and for the wellbeing of the district.

Mr Jordann who is also the proprietor of Zongwe Farming Enterprise urged the Trust to avoid overcharging them as this would hinder future development in the district.

 

“I hope MALIKO will achieve its intended purpose and acknowledge that the district is underdeveloped,” Mr. Jordan said.

He urged parents in the district to educate their children because the launch of the trust would have not taken place if their pioneers were not educated.