News / National
Charumbira sucked into chieftainship wrangle
02 Feb 2018 at 06:14hrs | Views
PRESIDENT of the Chiefs' Council, Fortune Charumbira, has been sucked into the Samambwa chieftainship wrangle after accusing dethroned David Samambwa of doctoring his birth certificate to lay claim to the throne.
The Samambwas have been at war over the past three years, as half-siblings David and Samuel (from different mothers) fought each other over the chieftainship, which has now been handed over to Samuel by the government.
David claimed that he was the rightful heir to the throne because he was the oldest in the family and produced his national identity card to prove his claim.
Samuel also laid his own claim, which spilled to the courts.
Charumbira has, however, touched off a storm after he accused David of conniving with corrupt officials at the Registrar-General's Office to produce a fraudulent birth certificate.
"We know the people from the Registrar-General's Office are corrupt, so one cannot use a birth certificate to lay claim to the throne. Those things can be altered so one appears to be older," he said in statements that have made David angry.
David said he was shocked by the statements made by Charumbira, which paint him as a corrupt person and further discrediting the national registry system.
"With all due respect, Charumbira is not of the Samambwa clan and should not involve himself with our chieftainship, but worse for him to drag his office into accusing me of corruption is dishonourable and it will be challenged," he said.
"He [Charumbira] also discredited the entire registry system which is supposed to be secure by saying they change birth records without offering evidence."
Although government has declared the chieftainship wrangle sealed, David said he would be approaching the courts to have his half-brother dethroned because he is the rightful heir.
The Samambwas have been at war over the past three years, as half-siblings David and Samuel (from different mothers) fought each other over the chieftainship, which has now been handed over to Samuel by the government.
David claimed that he was the rightful heir to the throne because he was the oldest in the family and produced his national identity card to prove his claim.
Samuel also laid his own claim, which spilled to the courts.
Charumbira has, however, touched off a storm after he accused David of conniving with corrupt officials at the Registrar-General's Office to produce a fraudulent birth certificate.
"We know the people from the Registrar-General's Office are corrupt, so one cannot use a birth certificate to lay claim to the throne. Those things can be altered so one appears to be older," he said in statements that have made David angry.
David said he was shocked by the statements made by Charumbira, which paint him as a corrupt person and further discrediting the national registry system.
"With all due respect, Charumbira is not of the Samambwa clan and should not involve himself with our chieftainship, but worse for him to drag his office into accusing me of corruption is dishonourable and it will be challenged," he said.
"He [Charumbira] also discredited the entire registry system which is supposed to be secure by saying they change birth records without offering evidence."
Although government has declared the chieftainship wrangle sealed, David said he would be approaching the courts to have his half-brother dethroned because he is the rightful heir.
Source - newsday
