Katima Mulilo – Sankwasa James Sankwasa has accused some leaders in top positions in government from Zambezi Region as the instigators of land squabbles and tribalism in the region.

Without being specific, the outspoken Sankwasa said these leaders continue to create scapegoats out of the subjects of Mafwe Chief George Simasiku Mamili in order to score “cheap political points,” and advance their own agendas and interests.

Sankwasa made the remarks likely to ruffle many feathers at the recent Lusata annual cultural festival at Chincimane.

He said district Indunas are not to blame as they have done their part in explaining land ownership and that the real problem concerning land disputes is with leaders, particularly people in high positions who are misleading government.

He said this to debunk charges by Regional Governor Lawrence Sampofu who said village Indunas should do their part in explaining land ownership to the community to avoid land disputes, the latter thus implying they are not doing enough.

“The honourable governor of this region requested all the elderly people to explain to their subjects various occupants of different districts and their boundaries. But there’s one point that I can say we all agree on this afternoon. All the various Indunas have done their best to explain the history of a particular piece of land. The current problem is with people who occupy positions in government. People who abuse their positions in the name of political prostitution,” he said.

Sankwasa who was given the platform to give a vote of thanks instead  went on a short lecture about the Sikanjabuka/Silumbi dispute saying Silumbi was a non-existent area in the Zambezi Region and that it was a creation of “some people in offices,” with a motive to occupy land in the Sikanjabuka area.

“I can give you an example. There’s no area called Silumbi in this region. Silumbi is a baobab tree in the Sikanjabuka area but people in offices have turned that into an area so that they can occupy land and apply for licences, cheating and misleading government. So if you want the truth on the peace in the region, let’s tell each other the truth. Only truth will set you free,” stated Sankwasa who hails from Sikanjabuka.

Sikanjabuka and Silumbi settlements are at the centre of the protracted land dispute between the Mafwe and Masubia tribes.

In his vote of thanks in which he did not thank the regional leadership though he commended other politicians, Sankwasa said, “Normally there are reasons why you have to thank a person and there are also reasons why you don’t have to thank somebody.” On the same platform he dismissed Simbalangwe as a language or dialect saying it does not exist and that it literally refers to someone dressed in a leopard skin.

However, he could not explain what language or dialect is currently spoken by people from Linyanti and Kanono.

“Mbalangwe is not a language neither is it a dialect to be spoken. So if there’s a Mbalangwe in this region then whoever puts on a leopard skin is a Mbalangwe, whether you are Chief Liswani, Chief Sifu, Chief Mayuni or Chief Mamili because the word Mbalangwe refers to a skin of a leopard or a tiger, so stop calling yourself or other people Mbalangwe,” he stated

Sankwasa alleged Chief Mamili and his subjects are being victimised for political expediency and land ownership.

“It’s an open secret that whoever wants to score political points in this region, will have to bash Chief Mamili and his subjects. Everything that seems to be going wrong in this region is seen to be done by the Mafwe and Chief Mamili. Yet all these issues emanate from nothing else but land ownership,” he said.

The Zambezi Region has a long history of bitter tribal rivalry, particularly between the Masubia and the Mafwe over land.

At the centre of the protracted tribal row which is before court is Sikanjabuka with both traditional authorities claiming jurisdiction. The disputed area is said to be very fertile.

In 2007, the area under contention was allocated in favour of the Masubia traditional authority, a move that prompted the Mafwe to challenge the decision in the high court which is yet to pronounce itself on the matter.

In 2008 the Masubia and Mafwe fought over the construction of a sub-Khuta of the Masubia in the disputed area.

Ngambela of the Masubia traditional authority, Milinga Kamwi, did not want to be drawn into the Sikanjabuka/Silumbi dispute saying the matter was still before court.

Even though the longstanding row over tribal boundaries continues to haunt the newly renamed Zambezi Region, relative peace has prevailed since Lawrence Sampofu took over as regional governor in 2010.

He has since created the Chiefs’ Forum which is made up of all the four traditional chiefs along with a limited number of senior traditional councillors, officials from the regional and local authority councils, legal advisors and other officials.

The main purpose of the forum is to advance dialogue in seeking solutions to land disputes and uniting all ethnic tribes of the Zambezi Region. Sampofu has also made repeated calls for unity and has denounced tribalism in the region.

“I have no comment regarding remarks that were said. The issue of Sikanjabuka is still with the courts that’s why it is not with the Chiefs’ Forum,” Sampofu stated firmly.

Some observers feel Sankwasa’s remarks are ill-timed and that Lusata was not the right platform to express such sentiments.

 

By George Sanzila