THERE is urgent need for the Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs to heed President Edgar Lungu’s timely directive to help resolve the dispute that has engulfed the Lundas and Luvales of North-Western Province, which is the cultural hotbed of Zambia.
We feel the Lunda-Luvale impasse is one tribal conflict that has dragged on for a long time, and the sooner it is resolved the better.
In future we do not want to hear another presidential directive to resolve the matter which if unresolved can flare into a violent clash.
The impasse between these two tribes has had an adverse effect on the area missing out on serious infrastructure developments, especially education owing to the differences between chief Ndungu and Ishindi.
This is, however, not the first time that President Lungu has issued such a directive to the ministry as he did so in May when he told the Minister in charge then Joseph Katema to work with the House of Chiefs to resolve the matter.
But now with an ultimatum in place, it is hoped something will be done by the relevant ministry.
The President has realised the important need to sort out this problem or at least help resolve it as such smaller conflicts have the potential to break a nation.
Mr Lungu has vowed to take up the matter himself if all efforts by the ministry fail to resolve the wrangles by setting up a commission of inquiry as provided for by the law.
The conflict has seen the restriction to teach ci-Lunda and ci-Luvale in both the west and the east despite the directive by the President that both languages be taught in the area.
With President Lungu’s new crusade to promote the One Zambia, One Nation motto, there is need for people in Zambezi to co-exist as Zambians.
However, there is need to seriously look at the matter from both sides to avoid the chaos that transpired in 2006 when an attempt was made to bring the two parties to a roundtable to discuss the matter.
A report was made by the Committee on Education, Science and Technology for the Third Session of the 11th National Assembly, appointed on September 26, 2013 and chaired by Dr Christopher Kalila.
It recommended that the Government should quickly resolve the impasse surrounding the use of Lunda and Luvale as mediums of instruction in Zambezi District schools in order to avert conflict.
And that for the sake of harmony in Zambezi east and west banks, the zoning policy which stipulates that Lunda be used in Zambezi east schools and Luvale on the Zambezi west banks, should be upheld just as it has been respected in other parts of the province such as Solwezi, Kabompo and Mwinilungá.
Everything must have an end, including the Lunda-Luvale impasse, which should be resolved by the two traditional leaders.