![\"rural](\"http:\/\/www.connectafrica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Shakumbila-Palace.jpg\" "\\"Outside")
<\/a>We had been waiting five hours<\/a> in the small rural town Mumbwa before we got the phone call saying he was heading back to his Palace, and we could now head there to meet with him.<\/p>\nEnjoying driving through the scenery of African bush dotted with the occasional baobab trees, while in deep discussion with a Headsman we were giving a lift to, we finally arrived at Palace We were welcomed outside the Chief\u2019s office, and ushered in to sit on the sofas around the edge of the room, facing a wooden desk.<\/p>\n Senior Chief Shakumbila, a tall man dressed in a grey suit with a blue paisley-patterned shiny shirt, followed us in and greeted us again.\u00a0 The tone was more informal compared to some of the other Chiefs we\u2019d visited, as the laughter demonstrated while we were introducing ourselves and our expedition, yet with the same strong undercurrent of mutual respect.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are only two ways that we differ\u201d Senior Chief Shakumbila got straight to the point, as he often did with us.\u00a0 \u201cThe first is what we eat and the way we prepare our food. \u00a0And the second is the way we reply to our parents\u201d.\u00a0 The Chief explained that as he saw it, in the western world, when our parents call us we say \u201cYes?\u201d When a father calls a son or daughter in his community, they reply \u201cTa?\u201d meaning \u201cFather?\u201d which shows a lot more respect to the person.<\/p>\n This is one of the few palaces in rural Zambia that has electricity and is connected.\u00a0 The Chief sees the value of emails for running his Chiefdom, and so he took the initiative to install a satellite dish outside his office in the courtyard of the Palace, not being able to rely on the elusive rural connectivity of the networks in his Chiefdom for access to the internet.\u00a0 \u00a0The electricity was a godsend for me to keep my laptops charged, and at night it lit up the large tree in the courtyard, making it a striking feature of the Palace.<\/p>\n The Chief joined us for breakfast the next morning, on camping chairs around a fire. \u00a0The conversation over scrambled eggs turned into his interview for the documentary.<\/p>\n \u201cOur living can be taken as a very different way of living, but in our tradition we understand it, and there is no competition. When you see us, you say \u2018These people are suffering\u2019. To you it is suffering. To us, it is normal.\u201d<\/p>\n Yet \u201cif we remain behind, we can\u2019t co-exist. So we need to move forward so we can co-exist with the modern way.\u00a0 The new technology we are learning now \u2013 it has changed our way of living.\u201d\u00a0 The Senior Chief felt that with education on how to use technology wisely, it brings advantages.\u00a0 \u201cWe have to get more signal points so all areas are covered and we have to educate our people to use modern technology for important issues and so it won\u2019t create conflict or a problem tomorrow between us and other people.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very good because it has simplified in terms of delivering messages to people\u201d and now he only uses traditions like writing letters and \u201ca human being to deliver\u201d a message via foot or motorbike to areas that don\u2019t have signals.<\/p>\n Senior Chief Shakumbila is an exemplary example of a leader.\u00a0 He believes in walking his talk, and farms his own land to provide for his people when they are in need.\u00a0 His openness and directness was refreshing, and the value he places on respect leaves a concern in his voice as he talks of how he sees it declining in the youth.\u00a0 \u201cI want to see respect of each other. Respect of everything we use, we should retain\u201d is part of his wish for the future.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we have a bright future. \u00a0Where we are going to, those people we will find, they will be enjoying themselves.\u00a0 I\u2019m seeing a very bright future with how things are being simplified (with technology).\u00a0 In the past was a good way of living, but we are slowly moving (forward), as long as we see that we don\u2019t abuse it.\u201d<\/p>\n And with those words ringing in my ears, he excused himself to go get dressed in preparation for the ceremony<\/a> due to start in a few hours time.<\/p>\n Written by Telana Simpson Senior Chief Shakumbila waved at us as he passed us on the dirt road in his Prada 4X4 at a little bustling intersection. We had been waiting five hours in the small rural town Mumbwa before we got the phone … Continue reading ![\"rural](\"http:\/\/www.connectafrica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Palace-view-300x179.jpg\" "\\"Palace")
<\/a>Shakumbila and parked our vehicles outside.\u00a0 The Palace was surrounded by a wire mesh fence with a guarded solid metal gate, just off the road with the local borehole outside, bustling with women and children.<\/p>\n![\"campsite](\"http:\/\/www.connectafrica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Shakumbila-Campsite-300x179.jpg\" "\\"Shakumbila")
<\/a>With preparations for the next day\u2019s big and important traditional ceremony needing his attention, our meeting with the Chief was called short and we were shown to the spot in the Palace which would become our campsite for the next few days.<\/p>\n![\"film](\"http:\/\/www.connectafrica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/interview-a-chief-300x179.jpg\" "\\"Interviewing")
<\/a>\u201cA phone only becomes bad when you abuse it, and those who abuse it are criminals. \u00a0Connectivity is good \u2013 it simplifies communication.\u00a0 Technology to some extent is a bad thing because it doesn\u2019t bring respect.\u00a0 It\u2019s bad because even criminals have a way of communicating with people to do their work\u201d commented the Senior Chief, when asked about drawbacks. \u00a0And as for the internet: \u201cI\u2019ve not yet discovered anything wrong with it, the way I have come to understand it.\u00a0 But there are so many things I can\u2019t explain because I am only in the middle ages, and I can only tell you from the time I was born.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"camping](\"http:\/\/www.connectafrica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Chief-breakfast-300x179.jpg\" "\\"Breakfast")
<\/a>His vision was warmly surprising, in that it ended with \u201cif you love one another then you move together in one thing.\u00a0 Where there is no love, there is no future.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/em>Date of interview: \u00a0Saturday 27 July 2012
\nConnectivity sponsored by\u00a0MTN Zambia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"