President Hakainde Hichilema has urged traditional leaders in the country to continue upholding the importance of culture and heritage through hosting of traditional ceremonies.
Speaking when he officiated at this year’s Likumbi Lya Mize traditional ceremony in Zambezi district, President Hichilema said this is because the government considers traditional ceremonies as a tool for fostering peace and unity in the country.
He said it is for this reason that government will continue to support all Chiefs, cultural groups and traditional ceremonies across the nation because peace and unity are a catalyst for not only cultural but economic and social development.
“Thanks for the Vakachinyama for upholding this cultural heritage that is Worldly recognised, I always remind our young people no matter how educated you are, let us not forget where we are coming from, culture and tradition is very important, it identifies our identity,” said President Hichilema.
And the Head of State has assured that government is aware of the food insecurity that has affected some people due to the drought which was experienced in the last farming season, adding that measures are already in place to mitigate the effects through food distribution.
He explained that government is also providing grants for irrigation for food production and aquaculture to encourage people to engage in off-session crop production as a way of enhancing food security among households.
He said this is in an effort for government to increase its resilience towards negative effects of climate change on agriculture production especially in places like Northwestern province that are endowed with a number of water bodies.
He also reiterated government’s commitment to embark on various infrastructure development in Northwestern province such as the construction of Universities, state of the art Hospital in Zambezi district, Schools, roads and bridges among others.
“Government is aware of the drought that has affected many people, this is why your President was one of the first to declare the drought as an emergency in the region, and already measures have been put in place to feed our people,” he noted.
Meanwhile, President Hichilema expressed concern with wrangles that have characterised some Chiefdoms, adding that such acts are detrimental to development.
He advised traditional leaders to always find amicable ways of sorting out their differences without letting them escalate to high levels, stressing that government will not interfere in any succession disputes.
Present at the ceremony, Acting British High Commissioner to Zambia Sam Waldock also reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s government support to Zambia’ culture and tradition for the benefit of future generations.
Mr Waldock underscored that the UK government created the British Council in order to show its commitment to culture and traditions as a way of promoting peace and oneness.
He said the Commission in Zambia will work with government and support all culture and heritage programmes as they help people to know their identity.
He also congratulated the Likumbi Lya Mize ceremony for being recognised as one of the cultural heritages through UNESCO.
And the Luvale Royal Dynasty Prime Minister Collins Sandala, pledged the Royal establishment’s support to the government and its efforts to bring development to all parts of the country.
Mr Sandala says within a short period of time that President Hichilema has led the country, the nation has recorded unprecedented development that has helped uplift the living standards of the people.
He cited increased Constituency Development Fund (CDF), free education policy, recruitment of civil servants and the attainment of the debt restructuring among others as some of the positive milestones in improving the well-being of people from across different backgrounds.
“This is historical that you are attending this ceremony as the Head of State, we are so proud of the many campaign promises that you have so far achieved just in the three years that you have being President, these programmes such as the increased CDF to over K30 million, the free education policy and the recruitment of many civil servants is testament to many good things that you have done to bring development to the country,” he said
Mr Sandala further appealed to government to consider creating another constituency called Zambezi central to facilitate development adding that the district is too vast to have only two constituencies.
ZANIS
LT Why no mention of Kariba North Bank shutting down in September ?
Surely this will have a devestating effect on the economy resulting in massive price increases
which is more important than touring the country
By the way why is Zimbabwe not talking about Kariba Dam?
Pilato is doing a great job, even though he doesn’t know that ifinyau falls under his ministry.
These traditional ceremony are now weekly, just like football league. Entertainment is good for country.
The President is traversing these traditional ceremonies as if they are statutory. In one month he has attended 5 such meaningless ceremonies, aikhona man, we have more pressing issues
Kikikikiki….the Office of the President has been turned into the Ministry of Cultural and Transported Ceremonies…..like he doesn’t have more pressing issues to attend to….why not deligate a senior government official to represent him…..like seriously…HH is a joke..Kariba down is about to shut down and this doesn’t even bother him…am perplexed
9 Zambian youths died in a quarry mining accident due to his lies and he not even bothered at all…hoping from Ceremony to Ceremony….and now expect unprecedented foreign trips starting from September upto Christmas….starting from UN General Assembly
Now you see when i tell you guys that all Politicians are conmen and they anly worry about being elected….HH knows that he will get zero votes in urban areas so now he is trying to hoodwink Villagers by attending their traditional ceremonies…..Honestly how can you run a serious business on standby power (Geneset) ….its impossible…..unless its just a kantemba business which you can even use candles
After defeating all tribes, Shaka was asked what next.
Shaka: Wars
Question: And if there no more wars?
Shaka: I will create them
Today and if there no more traditional ceremonies?
The Man: I will cross into Angola.
Western Countries are becoming more developed and richer whilst its exactly the opposite with African Countries…and all the President cares about is attending Traditional ceremonies….Mwanawasa never attended a single Traditional ceremony because he was focused on fixing the Zambian economy…HH is a demagogue Politician
Mwanawasa was knowledgeable about politics not like someone who wants to marry when he knows his john doesn’t work…. thinking that the john will start working after marrying.
Ba deja Vu some school of thought says marriage is not about the Johnny, otherwise we would get married at 14 when it becomes very active. What do you say?
@2b… marriage is about s**** but it must between the couple who are adults. It’s the same with employment…a twelve year old maybe a giant but you can’t employ him. Marriage goes with responsibility and that’s why there are age limits regardless of whether the john is more active than a 20 year old person’s.
HH doesn’t care because he has Electricity 24/7….his Ministers have Electricity 24/7…..remember when i said very soon Electricity and clean running water will only be reserved for the President and his Ministers in Zambia….and thats where we’re heading to
You quite right why isnt everybody on loadsheding apat from hospitals and such
If we march we arrested SO HOW DO WE EXPRESS OUR DISPLEASURE
In the west they call these celebrations, CARNIVAL. This is the only thing that black slaves took with them into slavery.
Now I agree with HH 100% when he said loadsheding is not caused by low water levels but a pure lack of leadership and corruption…in short HH is now lacking leadership and there’s too much corruption going on in his Cabinet
Not panono.
You can imagine if all what’s happening now happened during PF…..imagine what the Supreme leader Ayatollah Hakainde Hichilema would be saying….am sure he would have asked Lungu to resign
Relatives in Kabwe reporting power on all day due to HH being around
Does that mean this loadshedding is just a guise so than can export for $$$$$$$ ???????
What support are you going to give? Money? It will go into the bottomless pit. It will be pocketed. But if you are a true African try and and form institutions around the ceremonies and reserach on how they can be integrated into the unwantedly and overly Westernised education system, These were an integral part of African education before they were interrupted by the colonialist
“President Hichilema expressed concern with wrangles that have characterised some Chiefdoms, adding that such acts are detrimental to development.”
If there are wrangles say goodbye to the chiefdom. Chiefs are not supposed to spark off wrangles but take their tribesmen forward with the integrated government plans.