EDITORIAL | Chitimukulu Must NOT Fall into Political Propaganda

Before his capture in Mozambique, former Petauke Central MP Emmanuel Jay Jay Banda, popularly known as “Miracle”, claimed during a Facebook broadcast that President Hichilema was being haunted by Kafwaya’s ghost. He alleged that witch doctors had been consulted and wanted access to the late minister’s grave to perform rituals. Opposition figure Emmanuel Mwamba subsequently discussed an alleged government plan to exhume Kafwaya’s remains on his EMV programme.

On Saturday, October 17, the Bemba Royal Establishment issued a statement alleging that heavily armed individuals travelling in six vehicles were threatening villagers in Lunte District, demanding to be shown Kafwaya’s grave. The statement, signed by Secretary to the Chitimukulu Richard Mukuka, described the reported conduct as highly provocative.

“The reported acts of coercion, targeting the subjects of the Bemba Royal Establishment and asking the subjects to desecrate a burial place, are highly provocative to the Bemba Royal Establishment.”

We find this account difficult to reconcile with the circumstances surrounding Kafwaya’s burial. The late minister was a prominent political figure whose funeral and burial were public events. His grave is not some hidden location known only to a handful of villagers. If state security agencies genuinely wanted to establish where he was buried, why would they need a convoy of armed personnel to intimidate villagers into revealing something already known?

Zambia’s intelligence services routinely gather information on matters of national security and political significance. It is reasonable to expect them to have known where a former Cabinet minister, killed in politically sensitive circumstances, was buried. The suggestion that such agencies would struggle to locate his grave without threatening villagers raises more questions than answers.

Our concern is not with the Bemba Royal Establishment defending the sanctity of burial grounds. It has every right, indeed a customary responsibility, to protect the traditions of UluBemba. Our concern is whether sufficient care was taken to establish the facts before an allegation carrying such serious political implications was issued under the authority of the Chitimukulu’s palace.

Did the Royal Establishment independently speak to the villagers allegedly threatened? Were the armed individuals identified? Were police or government authorities approached for clarification? The statement provides no answers to these questions. Yet its publication risks giving institutional weight to a narrative already circulating through opposition political broadcasts.

The throne of the Chitimukulu is bigger than any political party, government or opposition movement. Its authority rests on history, culture and the confidence of the Bemba people. It must never become an instrument through which politicians settle scores, spread fear or lend credibility to stories built around witchcraft and political suspicion. Traditional institutions have survived successive governments precisely because their legitimacy does not depend on the fortunes of politicians.

We are not suggesting that villagers could not have been threatened or that the Royal Establishment should ignore reports brought before it. We are saying serious allegations demand serious scrutiny. If armed individuals threatened villagers, they should be identified and held accountable. But if politically motivated actors are exploiting Kafwaya’s death to draw the kingdom into their campaign against government, their conduct deserves equal condemnation.

The People’s Brief believes the Bemba Royal Establishment should establish the full circumstances surrounding the reported incident and, where necessary, seek clarification from the relevant authorities. The dignity of the Chitimukulu’s throne must not be placed at the mercy of political rumours. Kafwaya’s death deserves justice, his grave deserves respect, and the kingdom deserves protection from those who would turn either into political ammunition.