Don’t drag me in your tribalism, Chieftaines Choongo tells Davies Chama

Chieftaines Choongo of the Tonga people of Monze District in Southern Province has told Patriotic Front Secretary General Davies Chama and Times of Zambia to leave her out of his hate for Tongas and Hakainde Hichilema in particular.

“Iam a Chief for heaven’s sake, why should Mr Chama of all the people try to use me to get at his political opponents? I have never received any telephone call from Mr Hichilema to discuss anything of that matter leave alone Mr Chama’s visit because that’s doesn’t concern him or me.. While I acknowledge Mr Chama did pay a courtesy call on me when he was in my area to inspect Projects “atleast that’s how he introduced himself and his tour, as a per tradition I received him well and as usual expressed concerns where I felt there are some governance lapses and acknowledged where I thought Government had done well and encouraged them to do more. After that meeting with Mr Chama there was no body leave alone Mr Hichilema in particular, that called me to castigate me for receiving Mr Chama purely because Chama is Bemba. This is purely because everybody and Mr Hichilema himself understands that I am a traditional leader for all across party lines and courtesy calls are a traditional , Mr Chama is not the first ruling Party or Bemba or non Tonga to come to my chiefdom and certainly he will not be the last to do so..So where is all this coming from? Chieftaines Choongo wondered

“How many non Tongas have visited my Chiefdom and how many calls has Mr Hichilema made to castigate me? Please spare us the traditional leaders from your tribalism talk and hate for others in your political discourse. I repeat myself  , “I NEVER RECEIVED ANY CALL FROM MR HICHILEMA, NOBODY CASTIGATED ME FOR RECEIVING MR CHAMA , THE STORY IS NEWS TO ME AND IT’S A FAKE STORY”, said Chieftaines Choongo

Meanwhile , Chieftaines Choongo has advised the Opposition UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema to sue Mr Chama and Times of Zambia as it is too much of these malicious tribal allegations.

“Why should a normal adult fictitiously create such a lie against a fellow citizen? What is the motive? Is it to divide the nation on tribal lines? What really is Mr Chama trying to achieve out of this? As for Times of Zambia why be used as a conduits of malicious and divisive agenda? Whose interest is Times of Zambia serving, of Individuals of the nation? I can’t believe how politicians ignore the fact that this peace has no guarantee in the face of tribal divisions that are orchestrated by Senior leaders in the country ..” lamented Chieftaines Choongo

More of Chieftaines Choongo’s denial of the Times of Zambia story was aired on Radio Phoenix evening main news and a sound clip was played of her Royal Highness’s speaking in Tonga. She told a radio phoenix reporter that it was news to her about the said telephone call from Mr Hichilema as nothing of that sort ever

happened . “Ayo makani meenzu kuli ndime, Ba Hichilema tabana timunide

phone kwakaindi kalamfu , so ayo makani mebo ndahwida biyo kubantu ama phone from nywebo ma Journalists , kayi swebo ayo

ma (news ) papers tasiki okuno kumiinzi ” said the Chieftaines on radio phoenix