•PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu (right) shares a light moment with his Special Assistant for Project Implementation and Monitoring Lucky Mulusa (centre) while buying fish in Luangwa yesterday. Picture by SALIM HENRY/STATE HOUSE

By PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE –

in Nyimba
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has reiterated the influence that traditional leaders have in fighting tribalism by unifying subjects in their chiefdoms.
Mr Lungu, who is in the Eastern Province to check on development projects and assess the anticipated negative impact of the poor rain, said traditional leaders were instrumental in uniting people in the country.
He told chiefs Luembe, Ndake, Nyalugwe and Chieftainess Mwape when he made a stopover in Nyimba yesterday that Government was depending on traditional leaders to fight tribalism, a vice that had the potential to divide the country.
Mr Lungu told the chiefs that he was receiving destructive sentiments about tribal talk and it would not be proper for him to talk against it in Lusaka when the region where he hailed from was engulfed in similar sentiments.
The President said it was for this reason that chiefs were expected to take a leading role in sensitising people against tribal talk, especially that the country was heading for general elections.
Mr Lungu, however, noted that tribal talk was only common in political circles and not in other places such as churches.
“Such fighting is in political circles and not in churches and others. In the churches, there are no politics of saying this one is from MMD, UPND or PF. They are one,” he said.
Mr Lungu implored chiefs to instill the spirit of oneness in their subjects and communities by promoting the ‘One Zambia One Nation’ slogan.
It was through traditional leaders that the Government could guarantee peace in the nation, and the intervention by chiefs remained vital.
He said that unity should start at family, community, national and regional levels, and traditional leaders had a bigger role in uniting politicians, especially in an election year.
“I am imploring you, traditional leaders, to help me fight this scourge. We are going to hold elections and there are going to be differences. It’s you people to bring us together,” Mr Lungu said.
The President also informed the traditional leaders that he was in the province to check on the impact of the poor rainfall pattern, which has the potential to cause starvation.
He said by assessment, the Government would be in a position to plan and know the areas which required urgent relief food.
Senior Chief Luembe, who spoke on behalf of other traditional leaders, described President Lungu’s visit as an eye-opener.
The traditional leader hoped the President would afford them an opportunity to air the challenges facing their areas and in other districts.