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Chief Mutondo of the Nkoya speaking people in Kaoma district has threatened that there will be bloodshed if government will fund the expansion of Naliele royal palace of the Barotse Royal Establishment claiming that the palace is squatting illegally in his chiefdom.
He said the Naliele “Palace” was established in 1936 as a village for the native authority.
Chief Mutondo was speaking in Nkoya language through his interpreter, the former Ambassador to Malaysia under the Chiluba administration, Crispin Shumina when Western provincial Minister Obvious Mwaliteta paid a courtesy call on him today.
He said Naliele palace was occupied by a prince and not a chief and wondered why today the prince has become a Senior chief of the district in his chiefdom and complained that this is what is causing problems in Kaoma.
Chief Mutondo accused the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) of suppressing other tribes to which he said he cannot succumb.
Although on the other hand, he claimed that Nkoya speaking people want peace, he maintained that Naliele palace should be removed from Kaoma in order to maintain what he called harmony in the district.
In response, Mr Mwaliteta appealed to Chief Mutondo to embrace dialogue through the already established government structures and channels.
“It is not the issue of shedding blood but dialogue so that an amicable solution is attained through all peaceful means”, emphasized Mr Mwaliteta.
He assured Chief Mutondo that he has carried the message to the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs who have the mandate to handle such important matters.
Mr Mwaliteta explained that it was not government policy of interfering with the traditional matters and that if chiefs want to appoint representatives in the councils they were free to do so.
Speaking at the same meeting, Induna Kalubi Mwanamute appealed to government to scrutinize the jurisdictions of each individual chief in Kaoma district in order to address the differences between Chiefs Mutondo and Senior chief Amukena of Naliele royal palace.
Induna Mwanamute said that each chief through a statutory Instrument (SI) provided by government has his area of jurisdiction clearly indicated.
