CHIEF Luchembe of the Bemba people in Kanchibiya district has urged the government to take stricter action against illegal gambling businesses.
He blames unlicensed gambling for a rise in theft and school absenteeism among youths in his chiefdom.
Chief Luchembe claims children are stealing to fuel their gambling habits and ditching classes to gamble at machines placed near shops and schools.
He said that most children in his Chiefdom have turned into thieves, all in efforts of gambling.
The chief said this last week when Technology and Science Minister, Felix Mutati paid him a courtesy call at his palace.
During the visit, it was discovered that the Chiefdom had developed its own methods to stop the vice.
The traditional leader engaged people to be grabbing all gambling machines placed illegally in homes and road sites.
At the time, of the visit, the Chief Luchembe’s palace had eight illegal gambling machines commonly known as Bonanzas that were grabbed from various areas in the chiefdom.
He said aside theft, gambling had also seen a reduction in pupil attendance at school as learners would dodge classes during break time and begin to gamble.
“Youths are being destroyed with gambling,” Chief Luchembe said while lamenting about how easily accessible the Bonanza machines, run by Chinese nationals, were to children.
“The challenge we face in this Chiefdom is, the Chinese nationals would come and just place them anywhere, and anyhow, including in homes.”
While the chiefdom has its own method of punishment for illegal gambling, Chief Luchembe is seeking stronger Government intervention to curb the spread of illegal gambling and safeguard the future of young people.
“We have what is called as Umulima Chipuba (a farm for fools) we give the perpetrators a portion in our chiefdom farm to work on and later, that maize is used for our people, and the visitors that come,” Chief Luchembe highlighted the punishment for gambling offenders.
By Buumba Mwitumwa
Kalemba May 6, 2024
