Fred M'membe

By Dr Fred M’membe.

Attempts to buy votes
in Lubemba won’t work

I have been reading about the leadership of the ruling party having pushed in a lot of money, bicycles and even some automobiles into Lubemba.
This is said to have been done through some chiefs to help them buy the votes of their subjects. It won’t work.

In life, and much more so in politics, it is always very important to be clear about things.
Chiefs in Lubemba are not absolute rulers. They don’t rule by decrees like some other monarchs. Ours is a highly democratic, decentralised and accountable system with very strong checks and balances. Power in Lubemba doesn’t lie with the chiefs alone. It is fairly shared among the chiefs, Bashilubemba, Banamfumu, the subjects and even Bakabilo. And the ordinary umubemba has a say in what goes in the kingdom or chiefdom. He or she has direct audience with a chief wherever he or she finds the Kanabesa. It is said that wherever the chief is found is the palace. This means that the subject can way lay the chief and have audience with him.

Ulubemba is decentralised into three regions – Ituna, the Kasama part headed by senior chief Mwamba and assisted by many sub chiefs and village headmen and women; Inchinga, headed by senior chief Nkula and assisted by many sub chiefs and village headmen and women; and Lubemba, the capital for the Chitimukuku but also assisted by many sub chiefs and village headmen and women. Each of these regions of Lubemba determines it’s own affairs without interference from the Chitimukuku, save for issues that affects the entire Lubemba like wars.
The powers of the chiefs are in many ways well checked and balanced by Bashilubemba and others.

Bashilubemba have powers to remove chiefs.
And not every qualifying Bemba royal can become a chief. Only the best among the qualify royals, impanda, are chosen to become chiefs.
This ensures quality leadership in the kingdom or chiefdom. We have quality leadership in Lubemba that cannot be easily bought with bicycles, cars and money. They can buy or manipulate a few but not many or all.

And there are very serious consequences for those who sell out!
Lelo Ulubemba nalusebana kubupina. It is the third poorest region of our country – with 79.7 per cent ubupina.

Their bribes won’t do. They are dealing with people they don’t understand and in the wrong way and at the wrong time. Every umubemba is born with a certain adequate minimum amount of wisdom and integrity.

I can speak with a lot of confidence about these issues because I know what I am talking about, I am a Bemba royal.

Fred M’membe

December 25, 2020

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