President Hakainde Hichilema graced the 2024 Ukusefya Pa Ng’wena Traditional Ceremony of the Bemba-speaking people in Mungwi District, Northern Province. In his address, President Hichilema underscored the importance of unity and cultural preservation as vital elements for national development.
Speaking at the ceremony, the President highlighted the need for the country to uphold its rich traditions and cultural heritage, which serve as a foundation for the nation’s identity. He urged traditional leaders across Zambia to continue fostering unity by learning from and visiting one another, emphasizing that “unity in diversity is what this country needs. We can achieve more on the platform of unity.”
President Hichilema also applauded the people of Northern Province for their increased maize production, attributing this success to favorable rainfall patterns. He encouraged continued hard work in agriculture to further enhance productivity and national food security, assuring the government’s support in irrigation projects within the region.
The President took the opportunity to commend His Royal Highness, Paramount Chief Chitimukulu, for his role in promoting peace and unity by embracing other traditional leaders across the country. This year’s ceremony, which saw the participation of over 33 chiefs and 40 VIPs, including former Vice President Nevers Mumba, was a testament to this spirit of national cohesion.
In addition to cultural matters, President Hichilema addressed the progress in infrastructure development, particularly the rehabilitation of Kasama Airport, which has facilitated easier access to the Ukusefya Pa Ng’wena ceremony. He announced that contracts have been signed for the rehabilitation of Mansa Airport, with plans to improve all provincial airports to boost air travel across Zambia.
The President also called on the people of Northern Province to capitalize on the region’s mineral wealth through legal and sustainable mining practices, emphasizing the potential for economic growth if managed responsibly.
In his remarks, Mwine Lubemba Chitimukulu Kanyata Manga II, through a speech delivered by Senior Chief Nkula, expressed gratitude to President Hichilema for officiating at the event and for the government’s commitment to regional development, particularly in improving Kasama Airport and supporting local infrastructure projects.
The Ukusefya Pa Ng’wena ceremony, an annual event, remains a significant cultural gathering, promoting unity and the preservation of traditions among the Bemba people and the broader Zambian community.
Too much time and money spent on traditional
Ceremonies.We have so many other urgent
And important problems to concentrate on.
EXACTLY !!!
ZESCO will be the one that will come back and bite him
The only thing the President should be working on right now is Electricity…….lets find lasting solution to our electricity crisis…
We have enough natural resources…..lets stop wasting our natural resources via corruption and looting….and am sure the President went with a brown envelope bribe chief for votes……and i always say we have enough raw talent in Zambia to produce our own Letsile Tebogo but because of corruption and theft all the money meant for sports development ends up in the Sports Ministers and other Government official’s pockets…..
The President should be thinking about creating employment for the youths….we need electricity 24/7 in order for small business to survive…majority of our youths are employed by small businesses…… HH in opposition is exactly the opposite to HH in power……what happened to all the ideas he had whilst in opposition
The president can not develop zambia alone……..
The problem is too many Zambians talking , and stealing , and too few willing to sacrifice and put in the hard graft………..
Even graduates can’t seem to solve problems facing the country, but……..
for quoting theory and wearing ties……….
, they are second to none. But Putting it in practice, yayayaya …….ni Mavuto.
@Spaka you are the people misleading people diaspora about the goings in Zambia. Inform truthfully and you will succeed. My brother in law based in Birmingham got the impression that the country was a zone of war and it was mayhem everywhere everyday. He joined the UK based Upnd branch. He came just a few months before the election. He landed at KKIA expecting to see panga wielding PF thugs, he saw non. Spent three days in Lusaka he didn’t see war. He came to copperbelt we picked him from SMKIA in Ndola….he didn’t see any war. Finally he revealed his “disappointment” for not seeing the “action” he expected. I simply told him that those skirmishes were restricted to the political players which what was always video as the general situation of the country.
“The problem is too many Zambians talking , and stealing , and too few willing to sacrifice and put in the hard graft”
HH knew all this but he still stood for elections. He was telling us he would rectify things so dont give excuses by looking for problems why he cant do what he promised: his job
We need electricity and running clean water 24/7…..thats the National unity that we Want….
I seem to think he is thinking of self presevation rather than
National presevation
ZESCO AND TRAFFIC STOP THESE SO CALLED WHITE LINE LOOTERS
For PHI and Mtendere, it’s days on end now without Lusaka water and sanitation providing water to us the residents with no word from there. No Zesco power, no water for days now, the struggle is real
Back in the days we used to have inter- Houses then inter Schools…inter Districts …and then inter Provinces…i don’t know if they still do the same but that was one of the easiest ways of discovering raw talent amongst the youths….but unfortunately it used to end there due to corruption and theft ….Sports can keep the youths busy otherwise they just end up being junkies….Chileshe Kangwa and his Minister took all the money meant for Sports development and they’re building their own houses…..Africa has raw talent…Africa has raw materials…but we give it away for free to the West and China and see how they develop their sports….
@Anonymous: Those sports events happened because government had resources for all schoolgoing citizens. It managed the use of these resources but here comes greed and corruption and everyone wants to reap from public finances.
People are being cheated nowadays that they are getting free education. Free education? Call it what it is:Government subsidised education perhaps. Such poor education becomes miseducation. My dad went through free education from 1963 to University and they had free textbooks, exercise books, free pencils. They only bought school uniforms
One good friend of mine regularly repeats what his dad liked saying: A little education is dangerous. What the government is giving people right now is “a little education”
In the Northern province people are annoyed because they’ve been told that whoever doesn’t deliver 10 x 50kg bags of maize to FRA shall not receive FISP. The question is: How does Kainde and Mtolo Phiri expect people to produce 10 bags when they were given seed and fertilizer in medas? If shushushu who are all over Kasama haven’t told him about this, then bye bye Gloria
Hullo my Bemba cousins. I grew up learning your language in Chingola, Kitwe and Mufulira and can say I am better at the language than the kids you are giving birth to nowadays. That aside what is the meaning of “Ukusefya pa Ng’wena?” To celebrate on the crocodile? Niye kuti bwanji? And I have never been to Northern Province, where exactly is Mungwi? Is it on the Great North Road?
Nkara chane na Mc’wala iwe Pili
Iwe anka chabe. Me I can answer everything about Ncwala Kulamba or Tuwimba. I suspect you cant explain because you guys just invented this ceremony after seeing that all of us have celebrations
One person was brought up to think that if he slept in a room with closed windows, he would die. One some friends mixed his drink with alcohol. He went to sleep he forgot to open the window. He realised it while in so he took the nearest item and threw it at the window, the window broke and slept comfortably. He woke up in the morning only…. continued
I was disturbed by the security detail the President used at this traditional ceremony. He looked more protected than President Trump after the sniper bullet! For me it sends a very negative message to the nation about where this Presidency positions itself. What was wrong with just having the Aide De Camp behind him? Instead he had these four fat cats surrounding him. Totally unacceptable in my opinion. Perhaps if there was a security concern at this traditional ceremony, he should have delegated and stayed safe with his beautiful wife at Community House
He’s said to be paranoid. He imagines that somebody wants to assassinate him. They say he’s increased his personal intelligence officers from the usual 7 to 50. Maybe he’s haunted
Then he should shift to State House where at least he can flee into the tunnels. At Community House they will just teargas him
… to see a broken bottle on floor and the window was intact and he had not died.
Same with our tribes, people have been made to think that Bembas are bad people or Tongas are evil people… because these people have not been able to know the other person….a teacher is transferred to a remote area in Luapula province… he’s the only Tonga… what does he do? … continue
.. he’s no choice but mix with the locals and finds that these people are not evil contrary to what he’s been made to believe all his life…. same as a Bemba sent to work in Sinadambwe in Southern Province.
KK would field Sikotawina as MP in Mansa and Sikotawina would be a winner there.
What has destroyed this unit.
Traditions are important : but jobs ,clean water ,quality schools,quality healthcare ,proper sanitation,universal quality housing and constant power are way above these.
Zambia’s quality of life is too low we need hyper focus on the above.
it s like all those who worship the fake nd o called seer 1 are so confused that they cant see the reality and the actual direction of the good developmental agenda. please Bally continue working hard. Good and sustainable development cant come overnight
Should political speeches be encouraged at traditional ceremonies and Church gatherings?
No! Never! Leave the speeches to the Chiefs and priests. Otherwise dont turn up. There are many fora exclusive to their kind where the politicians can rant and rave instead of trespassing on culture platforms