The next government to be formed by the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) will retain the dignity of traditional leaders as custodians of culture and tradition and will do away with partisanship in the traditional institution, the CC president Nelson Chamisa has said.
Addressing a presidential rally in Nesigwe, Nkayi on Wednesday, Chamisa said traditional leaders should unite people.
“We must make sure that we have a leader with love, a leader who unites people. We are saying one people, one nation, one vision, so that we are all united in development. In our rural areas we don’t want our chiefs and our village heads to be chosen on a basis of a political party,” Chamisa said
“We don’t want our village heads to be forced to write down names of people, to say go and check where the people have voted for, thus not independence, people must vote for a part of their choice.”
He said his party will change the way traditional leaders are treated.
“You know that our traditional leaders are being used as extensions of a political party. We want to retain their dignity so they become custodians of culture, tradition, so that we become a people again,” said Chamisa.
Chamisa said his party wants to bring in leaders who are visible and active on the ground.
“We also want a government that is going to respect people on the ground, whereby MPs who are chosen are available to you. We don’t want people like Sithembiso (Nyoni, a Zanu PF MP of Nkayi North) who has been there since I don’t know but there is no development,” said the opposition leader.
“People must know that leaders come and go, we must change leaders like we change napkins and diapers.”
The CCC leader claimed his government was going to do away leaders who steal state resources.
“We don’t want thieves who will come and say ‘Phambili’ when they see people but we want to make sure there is change in this country,” Chamisa said, adding that devolution should be implemented.
“We also want devolution, we will make sure that we devolve power, authority, but we will also devolve services and government services. Devolution is key for development and democracy in this country.”
