Patson Chilemba
HH is my friend and any perceived differences is on account of people just talking, says paramount chief of the Ngoni people of Eastern Province, Mpezeni.
Asked by Daily Revelation on the reported long meeting he had with President Hakainde Hichilema, and asked if the meeting was about reconciliation since Mpezeni was very prominent in telling people to vote for an easterner, former president Edgar Lungu and was also active in the adoption of PF candidates in that region, Mpezeni said: “Aah! HH na neo mwati kwenze ma differences nane na HH? Kunalibe ma difference ali onse. HH, aah simuzanga uja? Aah! Kulibe ma difference chakuti kapena nikukamba chabe kwabantu. Aah, kulibe vuto ili onse (There were no differences between myself and HH. HH! Aah isn’t that one is my friend? There are no differences. It’s just people’s talking. There is no problem between myself and HH)”
Put to him that there was an ongoing saying in some circles in South Africa comparing him to the late Zulu king, Shaka, Mpezeni said: “ehe kaili sindiye kwasu mweo a Chilemba? Hahahaha (Yes but isn’t that our place you Chilemba?)”
He said the Ngoni people originated from South Africa, saying he and the other Ngonis from other parts of the world were well received when they recently travelled to South Africa for the installation of the new Zulu king, Misuzulu and that some were even crying that “oh babululu basu babwela (our relatives have come)”
He said he would invite King Misuzulu for the Ncwala ceremony, and that he too had agreed to come in an effort to know each other well.
But during the installation of Misuzulu, Zambia’s former High Commissioner to Australia George Zulu whom Mpezeni had disowned last year that he was not his Induna when they happened to support different parties with Mpezeni supporting PF and Amb Zulu supporting UPND, the latter was the one who spoke on his behalf during the South Africa ceremony. Responding, Mpezeni said he is the one who told Amb Zulu to speak on his behalf.
But asked if he had reinstated Amb Zulu as his Induna, Mpezeni said he had not yet done so, saying he was just someone he shared cultural backgrounds with.
