President Edgar Lungu has hailed Senior Chief Sikufele of Kabompo District in North Western Province for voicing out a number of concerns that would help him identify with the needs of the people.
President Lungu said this in response to Senior Chief Sikufele who has called on the President to ensure that Zambians benefit from the local gold deposits at Kasenseli in Mwinilunga district.
President Lungu also says the traditional leadership remains an integral partner to Government in the development process at various stages.
The President said that it is still not Government’s role to interfere with traditional affairs but provide support.
The President said this in Kabompo Thursday when he met with Senior Chief Sikufele of Manyinga and Kabompo residents during his three-day working visit to North Western Province.
President Lungu said that Government will continue to formulate policies to curtail mushrooming of ungazetted traditional leaders who are causing confusion in other parts of the country.
Meanwhile, the President said the peoples’ representatives in Parliament did not serve any purpose by fomenting squabbles with Government rather than communicating the needs of the people.
President Lungu said amending the Constitution was one way of curing squabbles in chiefdoms. He expressed hope that Parliamentarians would support the Constitution Amendment Bill Number 10 of 2019 which the House is expected to debate in a fortnight.
“On issues of development we can only hope that our people had effective representation in Parliament because most of our colleagues choose to be loyal to those that own their political parties and frustrate our programs by not telling us the exact needs of the community,” he said.
During his visit, the President also addressed party officials, calling for unity of purpose in the party’s mobilization strategy ahead of next year’s general elections.
And President Lungu says he is not impressed with some peoples’ adherence levels to the COVID-19 preventive measures.
The President said that people should not dare the COVID-19 pandemic just because they have not contracted it as it is deadly and not something light to take advantage of.
The Head of State said this when he met party officials in Kabompo district Thursday.
He noted with dismay upon arrival that people were not observing social distancing in Kabompo as crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of him at Kapende stadium.
President Lungu added that his Government will not protect anyone being engaged in illegal deals and hiding behind the party.
He said all those that were facing suspensions in North Western Province are being punished because they involved themselves in illegal deals thus punishment is needed to help members do the right thing.
He further stated that the fate of those involved is yet to be known as the results of the inquiry on the issue is yet to be released by the responsible committee.
Earlier, Senior Sikefule advised the President that local people should be given first priority to benefit from the mining of gold instead of foreign nationals.
“Your Excellency more often than not it is the foreigners who benefit from the country’s mineral resources. We have these resources in abundance and our people must be the first to benefit,” the traditional leader said.
He has since called for the quick construction of the Manyinga-Mwinilunga Road to ease access to the mineral deposits.
The Chief thanked President Lungu for embarking on a good Government development agenda for the region, particularly the declaration of Manyinga as a district.
The traditional leader urged the President to ensure that the development of essential service infrastructure in Manyinga was fast-tracked to improve the plight of civil service staff deployed in the area.
He also thanked President Lungu for facilitating the sensitization of traditional leaders on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and called for resources to help disseminate awareness messages to communities.
Senior Chief Sikufele further commended President Lungu for sustaining the One Zambia, One Nation motto, saying his chiefdom was a model of a united front as he presided over subjects hailing from 15 different tribes.
However, he disclosed that some unscrupulous individuals are trying to destabilize the chiefdom through illegal installation of sub-chiefs.
And the Chief appealed to the Head of State to intervene in sorting out a number of problems being faced by both Manyinga and Kabompo districts.
The traditional leader said that there is need to increase the number of forest concessions as very few individuals are benefiting from the timber resources the district is endowed with.
He further added that the region has continued to have deplorable roads, a situation which has been worsened by those trading in timber but are not ploughing back into developing the area.
The traditional leader noted that Chief Chiyengele area is endowed with abundant resources such as oil and copper but the never-ending wrangles have contributed to its underdevelopment as Government cannot interfere where there are traditional wrangles.
He also appealed for assistance in renovating the palace, a project which was started by his subjects but has stalled due to lack of funds. President Lungu is today expected to tour Ikeleng’i and Kasempa Districts.
Wise chief Sikufele but your words are falling on deaf ears. Edgar Lungu is a primary benefiter of gold mined in your province. We all know that.
PF must go!
PF COULD HAVE INITIALLY COME WITH GOOD INTENTIONS THROUGH IT FOUNDER MICHAEL SATA MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE, BUT MOST OF THOSE RUNNING PF NOW SEEM TO BE POSSESSED WITH A VERY EVIL SPIRIT OF MASS DESTRUCTION OF ANYTHING THAT IS SUPPOSED TO IDENTIFY WITH LIBERATION OF THE ZAMBIANS, THIS EVIL IS SO ACTIVE IN THEIR LIVES (most pf leaders) TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY HAVE LOST SENSE OF SEEING WHAT IS NORMAL AND WHAT IS NOT NORMAL LEADING THEM TO INTERCHANGE THE PERCEPTION OF NORMALCY AND THE ABNORMAL, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THAT WHILE HAVING THIS WRONG PERCEPTION THEY KEEP ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER TO THEIR GRAVE.
What the Senior Chief is saying is that the benefits from Kanseleli Mine for the locals should not only be in form of employment but should include direct profits from the sale of the minerals. In short, poor Zambians should be made shareholders of various mines.Should this be realized under the PF leadership, then acute poverty shall belong to history books.
Senior Chief Sikufele is too wise for a petty thief like Edgar Lungu and Co…I mean to him this message by the chief was deliberately mistranslated to which Lungu went away to tell the people to vote for MPs who will bring development ie PF. What Senior Chief Sikufele is talking about a social act; The Act for all public sector commissioning to factor in economic, social and environmental well-being in connection with public services contracts; and for connected purposes. Nigeria has these acts where you will find students in Europe doing all these PHDs are funded by oil companies.
Styupid way of thinking. What do people of Kariba benefit from Zesco electricity?
The great one – Lazy Lungu thought the Senior Chief will start talking about his roof leaking at his Palace but was shocked to hear him talking about Social Act (not Corporate Social Responsibility) if Lazy Lungu was genuinely concerned this is the first matter that would be table in Parliament not Bill 10, every deal signed involving natural resources has to factor in the local community where the resources mined.
Nostra….. – You have started drinking and blogging again
Well said Tarino Orange..
Very wise chief. Not pleasers of foools.
Zambian gold has never benefitted locals. How long has FQM been mining gold at kansanshi? Which local industries have benefitted? What about the gold in Mumbwa? All we hear is chinese illegal miners? What about the gold in Rufunsa? Again foreigners and politicians. What about the precious stones all around? Foreigners and politicians!
Now, in North western, still politicians and foreigners- from sudan!
So, yes, the chief is right, but ba lungu….he is only interested in himself and his minions
Chief Nkana has always cried for these social contracts. For the emeralds mined in his chiefdom. So that there’s retention of certain amounts of money expended within the chiefdom. But knowing chiefs. They will monopolize everything and oppress it’s people. The wildlife sector tried that. I urge govt. To promote more CSR. And prudently spend the returns equitably in education and agriculture sectors for all Zambians.
Yaks – CSR is not an obligation but Social Act is a bidding and who said anything about giving a Chief money…these form contracts are managed by trusts…social contracts are working in wild life go to South Luangwa National Park and see who funds the Rangers there.
Lungu wants to use that gold to recover monies stolen by him and his gang through doubuios road contracts
A separate body should be set up to track the flow of resources in Zed , too much thieving going around. Lungu is a good president surrounded by crooks, so he has to check out things for himself. What a shame!
Chief sikufele is a developmental partner doing what the useless upnd member of pariament has failed to do to his electrolats in his area. All he knows is walking out of parliament,
You need a President who can come and sort out all these issues. We are not going anywhere with PF. And for clarity, I am not UPND
Wrong answer from the chief. Its lungu first, followed by ministers , senior government officials , party cadres etc. The locals will be the last to benefit.
Enough – Firstly Lungu has zero leadership qualities and being inept weak isn’t a sign of good man he is stealing a living from taxpayers by cheating you he can lead. Stop making excuses for this bum.
Lungu got in contact with both Dora and Chilufya, he should be in quarantine because in all probability he is infected! Thus this is not the right time for him to go out maliciously trying to infect citizens like this. Actually this is tantamount to attempted homicide!
With all his well documented ailments, Lungu must be careful because his two infected cabinet ministers have infected him! When he goes down, he cannot be flown to SA because the borders are closed. Kunya mambala iwe, you will kick the bucket in Chawama clinic.
PAY RETIREES AT PSPF.
Tarino Orange. Sometimes I wonder what kind of a person you are by writing stupidity words to the Republican President. Most of your blogs lack clear thoughts and are clouded with hate speech. Never think you are not known by the system, soon you will be arrested for insulting language. I warn you to stop it. Criticize your leaders and government on issue based and not to demean them through insults. You seem to be suffering form colonial indoctrination. Stop it or else, your Zambian passport shall be revoked. We can easily get you arrested through our system and please stop it.
Spaka: Kindly desist writing insulting language, because the system knows all bloggers here. Next time you insult the President, your documents will be revoked and lets see if your stay in UK will be peaceful. Criticize the President on issue based and not hate speech. We know all who write hate speech towards their government and the UK government has been informed. Stop it.
I disagree with bloggers praising chief’s wisdom. Mining is not only for government to do, no. You the people, you as individuals should mobilize yourselves, get licences & start mining. You yourselves, mine & employ the people. Copperbelt people mobilized themselves & were given the dumps. Same, you can do it. Not lyonse you want boma.
I disagree with bloggers praising chief’s wisdom. Mining is not only for government to do, no. You the people, you as individuals should mobilize yourselves, get licences & start mining. You yourselves, mine & employ the people. Copperbelt people mobilized themselves & were given the dumps. Same, you can do it. Not lyonse you want boma.
It is sad that Lungu did not stay in the topic. He did not say anything about gold in his sentences. Zambians are not going to benefit. He is a vision less president who does not know how to run the country. Thanks to corona otherwise he was going to be traveling around the world.