Ambassador George Zulu, Senior Advisor to Paramount Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni people, has condemned the recent comments made by Chilufya Tayali regarding the Paramount Chief’s visit to the President of the Republic of Zambia.
“It is unacceptable to drag the King of Kings His Majesty Mpezeni into their madness,” said Ambassador Zulu in the statement.
“This madness must be taken to where it belongs. To insinuate that Mpezeni must not visit the Republican President unless for the purpose of corruption is madness.”
In a press statement released on the 27th of January, Ambassador Zulu also criticized Tayali for not speaking out when Paramount Chief Chitimukulu was in the company of Senior Chief Mukuni, stating that “Recently we saw Paramount Chief Chitimukulu in the company of Senior Chief Mukuni, this young man Chilufya Tayali said nothing to this day. He chose to respect Chitimukulu’s privacy.”
The statement also touched on the historical relationship between the Ngoni people and their “tribal cousins,” the Bemba, stating that “Our cousins the Bemba don’t cease amazing me, when it comes to politics, Bemba politicians have never been our friends. When it suits them, they will claim from the rooftops that we are one. Our political relationship with our tribal cousins is just for convenience.”
Ambassador Zulu also referenced the 1991 Unity convention and the Eastern Province’s decision to vote for UNIP instead of the MMD led by FTJ as examples of the Ngoni people’s independence in politics.
“When in 1991 everybody went for MMD led by FTJ, the Eastern Province decided not to go with them, we voted UNIP en masse. We are independent thinkers we are not bought by any money,” he said.
In conclusion, Ambassador Zulu called on the Ngoni people to ignore Tayali’s “provocative language” and to be counted among “decent human beings in this country.” He also urged Tayali to “talk about your own group, we don’t go together in politics” and to leave Mpezeni, the “King of Kings,” alone.
He also added “Mpezeni is a King and is independent, he makes, he chooses, he sees whoever he wants. So young man stay away, keep the madness where it belongs.”
“We have not forgotten what they did to Rueben Chitandika Kamanga at the Unity convention that led Easterners to give up the hope of being Zambians and subsequently declared Ummodzi Kum’mawa, wanting to break away because of the behaviour of our cousins in politics.”
“We must as Easterners ignore all these provocative language of Tayali and his likes. We must be counted among decent human beings in this country.”
“Talk about your own group, we don’t go together in politics. Leave Mpezeni Nkosi yama Nkosi, otherwise Umukonto usenzela.”