• President Edgar Lungu walking with a landmine victim in Ikeleng’i yesterday. Right is Foreign Affairs deputy minister Rayford Mbulu. Picture by EDDIE MWANALEZA/STATEHOUSE.

By REBECCA MUSHOTA in Ikeleng’i –
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has said he is concerned with the persistent wrangles between the Lundas and the Luvales in Zambezi District in North-western Province.
President Lungu said the wrangles could escalate to the Lundas and Luvales living in the other towns.
“I don’t know why the two (tribes) can’t co-exist when they have lived together for a long time,” he said.
The President was speaking when he met chiefs in Ikeleng’i District yesterday.
He said it was unfortunate that Chief Ndungu of the Luvale did not allow the Lunda language to be spoken or taught in schools and Chief Shinde of the Lunda-speaking people did not also allow Luvale.
He said he had appointed a committee of chiefs chaired by Chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukambo to investigate the matter and find a way forward.
Mr Lungu challenged chiefs to be championing the ‘one Zambia, one nation’ motto.
He said divisions should not be tolerated because they had the potential to degenerate into genocide like other countries.
Mr Lungu said he would provide leadership to improve on the united country Zambia was.
It was for that reason that President Lungu had embraced people from all regions and political parties.
Government was working on rehabilitating the Mwinilunga, while Jimbe Road was upgraded and construction of roads to connect the North-Western Province to Western Province was underway.
Mr Lungu said he had heard the chief’s calls for infrastructure development.
He also directed Patriotic Front (PF) deputy secretary general Mumbi Phiri to take note of the weaknesses of the party as highlighted by the chiefs.
Earlier, when President Lungu arrived at Solwezi Airport, he said he was the President of the people and he would provide leadership and ensure that the country remained united.
“Don’t worry, Zambia is safe because I am providing sound leadership,” he said.
North-Western Province Minister Dawson Kafwaya said the province was undergoing unprecedented change because all political parties were working together under his leadership.
Chief Nyakaseya of Mwinilunga said Mr Lungu was blessed because he was a uniting factor.
President Lungu was welcomed by PF and MMD members at the airport who sang songs of solidarity.
On his visit to Ikeleng’i, President Lungu walked to Kaleni Hospital from the Kaleni air strip where he was thronged by hundreds of jubilant residents.
The President also yesterday visited landmine victims in Ikeleng’I District.
Mr Lungu said there was need to empower victims of land mines.
He was speaking when he and Ambassadors and High Commissioner from the United Kingdom, Norway, Germany, Japan and France visited the victims. He told one of the victims Enoch Mukala that there was need to empower him so that he could have a good house.
When he addressed other land mine victims and residents of Ikeleng’i, Mr Lungu said he had instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other ministries to carry out a survey countrywide of victims of landmines and assess their needs.
He said Zambia, through support to her neighbouring countries, suffered cases of landmines and other weapons.
He thanked cooperating partners for their support and urged them to continue helping victims.