Southern chiefs elect representatives to the House of Chiefs

This follows an assurance made to the chiefs before the start of the meeting that their concern regarding the realignment of Chirundu and Itezhi Tezhi districts which led to their earlier meeting being aborted is receiving government attention.

The chiefs’ council meeting held at Leons conference centre finally elected chiefs Macha and Chikanta of Choma and Kalomo districts respectively as well as Chieftainess Mwenda of Chikankata district.

Opening the meeting, Choma District Commissioner Golden Nyambe who opened the meeting and represented Southern province Permanent Secretary Chileshe Mulenga pleaded with the traditional leaders to accept to proceed with the agenda of the meeting and elect three representatives to the House of Chiefs.

Mr Nyambe said the province needed representation in the House of Chiefs, advising that the chiefs’ concerns about the re-alignment of the two districts should not be allowed to derail the proceedings of the meeting.

He said it was not necessary to disrupt the meeting especially that the chiefs’ concerns are receiving active government attention.

Mr Nyambe said the chiefs would soon be informed about the government position on their demands.

Recently Southern province chiefs meeting in Choma refused to elect representatives to the House of Chiefs demanding that they first be told the government position on the realignment of the two districts.

However, in today’s meeting, chiefs from the two districts of Itezhi Tezhi and Chirundu that have been aligned to Central and Lusaka provinces respectively were conspicuously missing.

Speaking later after being elected as a representative to the House of Chiefs, Chieftainess Mweenda of Chikankata district pledged to unite all the chiefs in the province so that they join hands with the government of the day in fostering development.

Chieftainess Mweenda said that she understands Southern province very well because it has a history of clinging on to the opposition.

And Chief Chikanta who has been re-elected however urged government to take the House of Chiefs deliberations seriously by acting on the resolutions of the house.

He said in the past, there have been instances in which government has not responded to the resolutions of the house.