Government has revealed plans to turn traditional ceremonies into tourism products.
Southern Province Permanent Secretary Namani Monze said turning traditional ceremonies into tourism products would promote tourism and can impact positively on the country’s development agenda.
Speaking when he graced the Chikaza Munyama traditional ceremony of Itezhi- tezhi District, Dr. Monze said the promotion and preservation of culture remains paramount in the United Party for National Development (UPND)’s development Agenda for the country.
Dr. Monze said the government attaches great importance to traditional ceremonies as they preserve, sustain and showcase customs and tradition.
The Permanent Secretary urged the organisers of the Waala Munyama traditional ceremony in Chikaza Munyama Chiefdom to ensure that the ceremony was gazetted so that it could enjoy the benefits of a gazetted ceremony.
The PS seized the opportunity to explain how the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) can bring about local development in the country.
“The increase of CDF was not a mistake but a well calculated idea to bring about development to all parts of the country” Dr. Monze said.
He said this during the Waala Munyama traditional ceremony held in Lubanda in Chikaza Munyama chiefdom in Itezhi -Tezhi.
Meanwhile Chief Chikaza Munyama of Itezhi- Tezhi district has reiterated the need for the government to put up a bridge over the Kafue River to connect Itezhi -Tezhi and Namwala so as to have an all-weather access.
The traditional leader complained that due to a lack of bridge over the Kafue River and a better road on the Namwala side, movement during the rainy season was difficult.
“We have also had a problem of lack of good feeder roads in the district which makes transportation of goods difficulty” Chief Chikaza Munyama said.
The chief also urged the government to address the human wildlife conflict in his chiefdom.
He said that massive encroachment in the Namwala Game Management Area (GMA) has led to increased human –wildlife conflict that has seen people killed and crops destroyed.
