. Chitimukulu

By STEVEN ZANDE –
PARAMOUNT Chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba people of Northern Province has attributed problems facing the country to a resurgence of what he termed ‘protest political parties that do not have a vision but want to be in power at any cost’.
He has also lamented that traditional leaders have failed to reconcile the nation because most chiefs are compromised by taking sides on political issues.
Paramount Chief Chitimukulu said it was common knowledge that “where there is a protest there is violence,” stating that major political parties in Zambia were born out of other political parties in protest, and this explained why they lacked a clear agenda.
“One of the characteristics of a protest party is that they use lies to get what they want,” Paramount Chief Chitimukulu said. “They do not have an ideology of their own.”
The traditional leader said this in Kasama yesterday when the vice-chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry into Voting Patterns and Electoral Violence Mervis Chisanga and her delegation paid a courtesy call on him.
Paramount Chief Chitimukulu said it was unfortunate that most existing political parties had not been founded on sound ideology.
The traditional leader said he was worried by the trend where some political parties established militias which engaged unemployed young people fed with hatred which caused them to perpetrate violent acts against innocent people to win their masters’ approval.
He implored the Commission to recommend tangible measures to help address the challenge of political violence as this was crucial to sustaining law and order in the nation.
“How can chiefs promote reconciliation when some of them have openly declared support for certain individuals whom they have called their sons?” Paramount Chief Chitimukulu asked.