Chieftainess Chiawa wants re-alignment to Chirundu

CHIEFTAINESS Chiawa of the Goba people of Kafue district has appealed to government to consider re-aligning Chiawa to Chirundu because her subjects were finding it costly to access various government services from Kafue boma which is about 250 kilo meters.

Speaking when Lusaka province minister Obvious Mwaliteta paid a courtesy call on her in Chiawa yesterday, Chieftainess Chiawa called on government to re-align Chiawa to Chirundu which is 15 kilo metres from her palace in order for government to service the area in an effective and most efficient manner.

Chieftainess Chiawa said her subjects were finding it costly to travel to Kafue to acquire National Registration cards, resulting in most of the people in the area failing to get NRCs and voters cards.

“I’m happy that you have now been brought near to your constituency so that you can find time to look at some of the challenges that my subjects are faced with. My people want Chiawa to fall under Chirundu in terms of administration so that they can be going to Chirundu for their NRC’s and medical services because Kafue is too far for us here,” Chieftainess Chiawa stated.

She also called on government to urgently consider opening up a local court in her chiefdom in order to resolve some outstanding issues which bordered on traditions of the Goba land.

“My chiefdom has had no local court for over 10 years now; this is not good because every time my people need the court intervention, they have to go to Sikongo or Siavonga which are 150 kilo metres away. This is bad because our traditions and those of the people in these two areas are totally different,” she lamented.

Chieftainess Chiawa further appealed to government to finish building the house for a court clerk which was abandoned in 1987 at roof level.

“Honourable Minister, I want you to convey this message to the President that the people of Chiawa need a local person to man Chirundu as district commissioner, I’m not trying to be tribal, but certain things need to be localized. I tried to lobby from government to have a local person as DC for Kafue but it failed. I hope this time the appointing authority will hear our plea,” said Chieftainess Chiawa.

She told the Minister that all his predecessors had been going to Chiawa to familiarize themselves with problems that her subjects were faced with but nothing tangible had been coming out of their visits.

“Three ministers have been here before you to find out what my subjects go through in their day to day lives but nothing good has come out of their visits, it’s like this has become a routine and I hope your visit won’t be like those who have done nothing for my people,” said Chieftainess Chiawa.

And Mr Mwaliteta assured the traditional leader that he was going to relay the message to the Head of State over her concerns adding that the PF government was a pro-poor government which was committed to ensuring that lives of rural people were improved.

Mr Mwaliteta told the traditional leader that he had included all heads of government departments in his entourage in order for them to understand and work out ways of addressing challenges to do with lack of transport for the police, shortage of health personnel and a bad road network in the area.

He assured Chieftainess Chiawa that his office will engage the Judiciary in order to open a local which will interpret traditions of the Goba speaking people.

And PF Chiawa ward Councillor White Soda Nyasanga appealed to government to urgently send relief food to the area because hunger was looming due to the human – animal conflicts which have characterized the area for a long time.