Senior Chief Monze calls for unity and peace

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The Tonga people of Monze in Southern
province have celebrated the annual Lwiindi – Gonde traditional
ceremony with a call by Senior Chief Monze for them to embrace peace and unity in the Tonga land and the rest of the country at all times.


And Vice President Guy Scott has graced the 2014 Lwiindi-Gonde traditional ceremony with an assurance
to traditional leaders that government will always include them in all the developmental activities of the country.


Speaking when he addressed the ceremony in Monze today, Senior Chief Monze also openly told off politicians to desist from politicking during the Lwiindi-Gonde traditional ceremony but embrace peace, unity and oneness which he said was the core value of the ceremony of the Tonga people as coined by the first Chief Monze,  Mukulukulu.


The Traditional leader stated that the ceremony is an event meant to
bring all his people together to thank their ancestors for a good
harvest and not to conduct politics or deliver discriminatory remarks
against anyone.


Senior Chief Monze stated that much as the politicians were invited for the
ceremony, political speeches meant to popularize or de-campaign any
leader were not accepted as the ceremony was for all people including
foreign tourists.


Chief Monze also thanked government for helping them successfully host
this year’s ceremony and appealed to the Zambia Wild Life Authority (ZAWA) to give
him another animal skin for his attire.


The traditional leader also appealed to all Tongas especially those
that are in gainful employment to ensure that they contribute funds towards the construction of permanent structures at the main arena and also build a Chief’s palace .


Senior Chief Monze’s comments came after United Party for National
Development (UPND) Leader Hakainde Hichilema who is also Lwiindi ceremony
Patron mockingly apologized to the public on behalf of Vice President
Guy Scott for issuing discriminatory remarks against the people of
Southern Province.


Mr. Hichilema requested the Vice President to apologize in person, a
statement which was echoed by Mazabuka Member of Parliament Garry
Nkombo.


Vice President Guy Scott wondered why the Mazabuka MP insisted that he
apologizes again despite doing so in parliament last Friday in a statement which was aired on
both radio and television after clearing up the matter with Mr. Nkombo.


Meanwhile, officiating at the ceremony, Vice President Guy Scott reaffirmed government’s commitment to developing Southern province by constructing infrastructure such as roads, schools and health centers.

The Vice President said government had already engaged contractors to
work on the Mazabuka-Kafue road and the Monze-Niko road whose works he said
would commence by September this year.


Dr. Scott also disclosed that government had already constructed nine out
of the eleven health posts that were allocated for Monze district.


The Vice President stressed that government will work with traditional leaders
in all developmental activities countrywide.


The Lwiindi Traditional ceremony of the Tonga people is an annual
festival of thanks giving which is held in Monze in the Southern
Province of Zambia.


Lwiindi is the main ceremony which takes place in July at Gonde, where
it is claimed the first Chief Monze just disappeared and did not die.


The place became the burial place for all chiefs but so far only two
have been buried there.

Lwiindi means thanks giving for the harvests which are directed to
Tonga ancestors, especially the first Chief, Monze Mukulukulu.

It is believed that Monze Mukulukulu was blessed with wisdom, was a rain
maker and could eradicate diseases.

The ceremony starts on the last Sunday of June where people watch
various dances of the Tonga’s from the plateau, those from the Plains and the Valley
Tongas.

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