Africa-Press – Zambia. One of the established and accepted practices of Zambian politics is that traditional rulers or chiefs should not stand in elections for partisan political offices such as member of parliament.
The general understanding is that chiefs are custodians of, not only traditional values of their people, but also protection of their development interests as they interface with sitting successive governments.
To be able to effectively fulfill these roles in their chiefdoms, traditional rulers have been proscribed by convention from competing with their subjects by standing for political office, even though as citizens they have the right to do so.
Hence, it seems to have been a case of extreme poor judgment for Chief Peter Fisher, the White Zambian installed as Mwata Kamwana of the Lunda in Ikeleng’i district of North Western Province, to stand on the Patriotic Front ticket as member of parliament.
Chief Fisher challenged incumbent Elijah Muchima of the United Patry for National Development (UPND) for the Ikeleng’i Constituency. He was beaten so thoroughly in this contest, that one is bound to ask just what had given Chief Fisher the idea that he could win this seat in the first place. Muchima polled 11, 614 votes, to Chief Fisher’s 2,467.
It is this question that has led some to speculate that Chief Fisher stood on the PF ticket out of desperation over the flagging business fortunes of his Nchila Wildlife Game Ranching operation.
Because the PF had so convinced themselves, and many others, that they would retain power after the August 12, 2021 elections, Chief Fisher could also have seen his future position as MP for Ikeleng’i as a way of shoring up his Nchila game ranching business.
Since reports surfaced that Nchila Wildlife Game Ranching had been placed under receivership, Chief Fisher’s decision to stand for partisan political office, and his personal conduct have come into focus.
The key question that may be raised is therefore that, if indeed Chief Fisher displayed poor judgment in allowing himself to be a candidate for Ikeleng’i Constituency, can this be extrapolated to be the reason for the failure of Nchila Wildlife Game Ranching business now being under receivership?
And it would seem that comments and speculation regarding Chief Fisher’s conduct have not been confined to his failed attempt to be MP and the collapse of Nchila Wildlife Game Ranching.
After some recent publications discussing the potential jeopardy of the Fisher family legacy, some readers sent in comments on the matter, stating that the article did not go far enough in considering Chief Fisher’s activities in the area. One reader suggested that Chief Fisher’s personal and missionary life has had a negative impact on the current state of Kalene Mission Hospital.
“It appears that in the past few years Chief Fisher has had differences with some of hospital’s highly qualified and experienced medical staff. Perhaps it is because the Chief believes it is his hospital because it was started by his father,” one reader commented.
Another reader called in and alleged that the acrimonious relations had been extended to some missionaries, who had been the main support for Kalene Mission Hospital.
“There seems to be fewer missionaries coming to the mission now, and even fewer visiting doctors. It may be that being Chief could have gone too much to his head. He seems to be thoroughly ‘Zambianised’ in his attitude. It is not surprising that standards appear to have fallen at the hospital,” the reader said.
Much of this negative comment could have been avoided had Chief Fisher simply subjected himself to the convention of not engaging in partisan politics by challenging standing on the PF ticket for MP.
It has simply opened him up to attacks, and those in the political camp he opposed cannot be faulted for viewing his activities with on-going suspicion.
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