Installation ceremony halted

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Installation ceremony halted

Samfya, July 6, ZANIS—Suspense and uncertainty hangs over the long protracted Kasoma Bangweulu Chieftainship official installation of Chief elect Moses Kabila in Samfya district.


But Luapula Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Joyce Bwacha Nsamba says government has decided to halt the installation until further notice to pave way for a constitution of a commission of inquiry into the Kasoma Bangweulu succession issues.


Ms Nsamba said this follows complaints and concerns from William Kunda who was also contesting the throne but lost to Kabila in the chiefs’ elections.


The Deputy Permanent Secretary has appealed for calm and patience as government looks into the matter in a bid to harmoniously resolve the matter.


And scores of villagers have complained and expressed concern on the succession wrangles saying their chiefdom was gravely disadvantaged and inconvenienced by the impasse.


Mary Bunda and Mwansa Kamambwe of Malombola village in Chief Kasoma Bangweulu Chiefdom in Samfya district complained on the delays to install Kabila the Chief elect and over resources the villagers had put to hold the event.


“We only hope that this issue is conclusively resolved because we have been celebrating the whole night and preparing food and the like in readiness for today. Now who will foot the expenses when the actual installation is held later? The complainant we guess!” they lamented.

 

Dispersing the crowd that had gathered at Samfya Primary school ground earmarked for the event celebration became a challenge as some people were refusing to leave without proper explanation to the postponement of the long awaited event.

 

In a related event, Senior Chief Kalasa Mukoso and Luapula House of Chiefs representatives Chieftainess Mulongwe of Samfya District said the traditional leadership in Samfya and Luapula as a whole are dismayed at the turn of events where harmony has been elusive to the Kasoma Bangweulu Chieftaincy succession.


The traditional leaders said it was sad that the issue of succession wrangles which have seen various avenues of intervention efforts are of a recurrent pattern but urged the subjects to be patient even though the matter had dragged on for years.


This follows a reported last minute halt of the installation by Chiefs Affairs Minister Nkandu Luo yesterday which was due to be held today over reported reconciliation efforts with the contesting heirs to the throne.


The two family’s vying for the throne have taken-on each other since 2007 through negotiation, reconciliation and before the courts of law but all efforts are in vain as the wrangles over the legitimate heir continues.


On one side the Kunda family contends that his earlier victory which was disputed over irregularities and had to have a re-run stands as the legitimate result as opposed to the later where the elected Moses Kabila whose due installation has been halted is allegedly illegal.


This is in spite of measures by the Ndola High Court in a bid to resolve the succession wrangles legally ruled in favour of Kabila’s victory following the sanctioned re-run results.


The recent ruling in favour of Kabila on the re run results where he beat his rival by 117 against 37 votes polled by Kunda, the two parties resolved to harmoniously conclude the succession issue outside court by avoiding further appeals against the final High Court ruling.


Recently William Kunda the aggrieved party in company of his supporters, stormed ZANIS offices in Samfya stating that no installation was going to take place unless he is recognized as the heir or had some kind of power sharing deal in Kasoma- Bangweulu Chiefdom.


He further threatened that if things did not go his way he would form his own chiefdom as he claimed to have support of the people.


Tensions have hit the district with all shops closed as over a thousand villagers have converged at the arena awaiting the installation ceremony.

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