Define Role of Chiefs in elections – Zambians demand

By Mutale Kremer

Chief Mukuni of Kazungula [Southern Province] had ordered his
[headmen] to register the voter and national registration card numbers
of his subjects as a way of ensuring that they voted for President
Rupiah Banda in last Tuesday’s elections.

According to George Muzinga, who has been tasked by chief Mukuni to
conduct the exercise, all registered voters in the kingdom had been
ordered to register to determine how many people would vote for the
president.

“The chief has asked me and three other people to get all the voter
card numbers and NRC numbers so that we see how many people are able
to vote,” Mzinga said in Nyanja in a recorded interview before the
elections.

“So we are registering people in all the 12 zones (which
comprises of 144 villages) of the kingdom.”

Mzinga, who is a branch official in the ruling Movement for
Multi-party Democracy, said he had so far managed to register voters
in 11 villages and that the other MMD officials were carrying out a
similar exercise in other parts of the kingdom.

“So far I have managed to register voters in Zyanganyana,
Siafyebafweba,Siandombe, Sianyemba, Chuunga, Siandaunyana, Namalaza,
Malumani, Chimbumutwe, Siamasimbi and Mabbonga,” he said. “I am just
remaining with a few villages and by Saturday I will be through. My
wife is also carrying out a similar exercise with some MMD officials
in the gorges. We have all been paid K100, 000 to do this.”

And a village headman, who refused to be named, said some headmen in
the area had refused to have their subjects registered and that Chief
Mukuni had ordered that they be detained at Katapazi village until he
got back from the House of Chiefs in Lusaka.

“The Chief (Mukuni) heard that some village headmen have refused to
have people registered and he has issued instructions that he should
find then at Katapazi and he will deal with them,” the source said.

“We want the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to explain to us if
this is part of their program. These people (Mzinga and group) are
even asking people who they are going to vote for which doesn’t sound
right.”

The headman also disclosed that chief Mukuni has made a directive that
those with curio stalls at Mukuni village, which sells artefacts and
curios to visiting tourists, who did not support the MMD will be
“dealt with.”

“On Sunday, the chief sent word that those at the curio market who
were known not to support Banda (president) should have their stalls
repossessed and that others who are not part of the market will be
dealt with in the chief’s own way,” he said.

“Chief Mukuni should explain why he is doing that registration,” he
said. “What does he want to do with the information? And asking people
who they are going to vote for is illegal and should not be
entertained.”

Simusa said the opposition political party supporters were “playing a
fair game” and wondered why the MMD was not doing the same.

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