The omission of Zambia’s first female Vice President Inonge Wina from the inaugural King Lewanika Royal Meritocracy awards following the successful hosting of the Kuomboka ceremony of the Lozi people has been attributed to the high number of eminent personalities and that she will be considered in the subsequent and future annual awards.
The Litunga Lubosi Imwiko II, recognized 13 distinguished women in what was inaugural royal meritocracy awards during the Kuomboka ceremony held in western province. The awards have however raised questions on the criteria used as Zambia’s first woman former Veep Inonge Wina was conspicuously missing from the inaugural list. Debate has raged on social media that the omission of Wina has politicized the awards list.
The 13 women that were recognized and awarded include; Dr Inonge Mbikusita – Lewanika, Mutumba Mainga Bull, Stella Mwaka Libongani, Ndiyoyi Muliwana Mutiti, Nelly Kashumba Mutti, Mukwandi Walusiku Chibesakunda, Princess Nakatindi Yeta Nganga (Posthumously), Frances Mwangala Zaloumis, Ireen Mukombe Muyenga, Kapelwa Sikota, Janet Mwananyanda Yeta, Rebecca Lisulo Katowa and Sister Namunji Mutelo.
In an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT Joseph Maopu, Investment Development Consultant to the Barotse Royal Establishment – BRE stated that there are more than fifty hundred (5,000) woman of eminence from Barotseland who could all have been on the award list.
Maopu stated that “these are annual awards from now on, thus every year men and women from Baroste will be awarded by his majesty the king, he added that the men and women that did not find themselves on the list of those that were awarded are likely to be awarded in the years to come”.
The BRE consultant who previously served as Luapula Investments Cordinator added that “the responsibility of choosing and the honour to confer, rests on his majesty the Litungu through the royal establishment “KUTA”, there is a committee that deliberates and makes the final nomination”.
And when asked by ZBT if the awards were being made to those that made contribution to Barotseland specifically and not Zambia as a nation as indicated by some media reports, Maopu disputed those assertions and re-stated that the awards were based on contributions, achievements and service to the world, to Africa, to Zambia and to Barotseland.
He further added that the meritocracy awards were not politically inclined as one of the recipient for instance a sister in the missionary work, the oldest and longest serving holy cross sister in Zambia, Sister Mirrian Namunji Mutelo.
