By KELVIN MUDENDA –

KING Mwantiyanvwa of the Lunda Empire in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has urged Zambians to maintain peace ahead of the August 11 general elections.
He said Zambians should maintain peace and unite in order to build the nation that has continued to be a haven of peace.
King Mwantiyanvwa, who spoke through Chief Kanongesha of the Kanongesha-Lunda people in North-Western Province upon arrival at Senior Chief Mukuni’s palace in Kazungula District on Friday, prayed for unity and peace.
The Lunda king is in Livingstone for a week to attend a conference organised by Overland Mission, a missionary organisation involved in training programmes, volunteer works, evangelism and education.
King Mwantiyanvwa said he was attending the conference because there was need for focused leadership for the people in the Lunda and Luba lands to uphold peace and unity.
He said he had  come to add value  to the spiritual  revelation so that  the next generation  would make a difference  from the current one since the  church was the pillar of the nation.
“We chiefs are God’s stewards. I do not see any reason why we are struggling to settle God’s words with our subjects in the Kingdoms and yet within our traditions we have structures of traditional priests. Therefore, some people must desist from labelling chiefs as actors of witchcraft,” he said.
Senior Chief Mukuni thanked King Mwantiyanvwa for visiting the village and for his quest to unite the people.
The Lunda King is accompanied by chiefs Ishima, Nyakaseya, Mumena and Kanongesha.
Overland Missions director of operations, Jacob Schwertfeger said the organisation was blessed to host a great king that had contributed greatly to Africa’s history.