Minister cautions chiefs …to stop being partisan
TRADITIONAL leaders must stop the attitude publicity showing or declaring their support for leaders of political parties, Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Minister Lawrence Sichalwe has warned.
In an interview with the Daily Nation, Mr Sichalwe advised traditional leaders that such attitudes would reduce the respect of their subjects and expose them to public ridicule.
“Traditional leaders are leaders of respective communities with a huge support base and are highly revered in the country.
“It is against this background that it is imperative for chiefs or traditional rulers to stay away from politics, to avoid the situation where they would pave the way for their subjects to openly disrespect them in the name of politics,” Mr Sichalwe said.
He pointed out that being a traditional leader was an honourable and enviable title, and that not many were privileged to bear that title.
“If they have earned it, they must keep it intact to earn the respect that comes with it,” Mr Sichalwe said.
He explained that if a traditional leader involved him or herself in politics, he or she opens the floodgates for insults, humiliation and open disrespect.
Mr Sichalwe hinted that since traditional leaders were the embodiment of their subjects, they were supposed to attract special reverence from their subjects, who are expected to love and serve them.
He, however, pointed out that the relevance of the chieftaincy institution, to a large extent, would be measured by the conduct of the chiefs themselves, whose contribution to democratic development, civil and environmental matters, in the country, was enormous.
He explained that the respect some traditional leaders command in their chiefdoms, and even beyond, had withered away, because they have over indulged themselves in partisan politics.
He has since appealed to the chiefs that, no matter how hard the politicians try to influence or entice them with money to show open support for their political parties, they should resist them and keep their respect.