Luangwa District, 27th October 2025 – Senior Chief Mburuma of Luangwa District has commended the Human Rights Commission of Zambia (HRC-Z) for its continued efforts in promoting public awareness of human rights across the country.
The traditional leader made the remarks when a delegation from the Commission paid a courtesy call on him at his palace yesterday as part of ongoing community sensitisation activities in Luangwa District.
Senior Chief Mburuma said the Commission’s outreach programmes play a crucial role in ensuring that all the people, including those in remote areas, know their rights and freedoms.
“Conducting sensitisation activities in our communities is important because it allows even those who do not know anything about human rights to become aware of their rights,” Senior Chief Mburuma noted.
The traditional leader stressed the importance of ensuring the right to food and food security in his chiefdom to enhance respect for human dignity by enabling people to live free from hunger.
Senior Chief Mburuma appreciated government’s programmes aimed at promoting food security and empowering people to feed themselves, such as the Farmer Input Support Programme and the Cash for Work programme. However, he noted with concern that some beneficiaries were not utilising responsibly the support received from government.
“Some young men don’t use this money at home; they just spend it on drinking. But ggovernment, like a parent, continues to help because it cannot abandon its people,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, the traditional leader expressed concern over the prevalence of child labour in his chiefdom.
“Sometimes you will find that a young child, even as young as three years old, is made to carry a heavy container of water,” he observed. “We need these kinds of sensitisation activities because when adults are educated about rights, they will also protect the rights of children.”
The traditional leader further thanked HRC-Z for visiting his chiefdom, saying the engagement had brought him great joy and urged the Commission to visit regularly in order to raise awareness and understanding of human rights among his subjects.
“You have made me so happy,” said Senior Chief Mburuma.
And speaking during the visit, the HRC-Z team reiterated that human rights belong to everyone, and that the Commission remains committed to ensuring that all citizens, regardless of location or status understand and enjoy their rights and freedoms.
The Human Rights Commission is currently conducting human rights sensitisation and community engagement meetings in Luangwa, Rufunsa, and Chongwe Districts as part of its ongoing public awareness campaign.
