BAROTSELAND SHALL BE FREE!! - Prof. Sitwala Imenda, BNFA Recent reports of the arrest of some people of Barotseland descent for rejoicing at what they understood to be good news concerning the liberation of their country made very sad reading. Their being charged with treason for doing so – even sadder. Their subsequent rejection of Zambian jurisdiction over them, and generally over the affairs of the people of Barotseland, made interesting but very serious reading because it raised a very serious constitutional question that Zambia has been sitting with since her corrupt birth; corrupt because the birth was delivered on a copper platter of deceit. It will be interesting to see how the Zambian courts deal with this constitutional question because truly speaking, the people of Barotseland ceased to be Zambians in 1969 – and, therefore, have remained under the control and administration of Zambian authorities only by through the power of the gun. Previous Commissions of Inquiry have cataloged and itemized the very serious and wide–ranging atrocities that have been incessantly committed by successive Zambian governments against people of Barotseland descent, mainly just for reminding them that Barotseland entered into the union with Northern Rhodesia on certain terms and conditions - which they have continually flouted. The recent arrests are, but just the latest chapter in this very unfortunate story. That in 1969 the Zambian government unilaterally terminated the Barotseland Agreement 1964 is a matter of public record. The people of Barotseland hold the view that the termination of this Agreement meant that the two parties to the Agreement had been freed of each other’s influence – and must, accordingly, go their separate ways. The only way to have remedied this fall–out was to put the Barotseland Agreement 1964 back into the Zambian constitution, and this has not happened since. So, why has the Zambian Government continued to use its instruments of power (i.e. inter alia, its police, army and courts) over the people of Barotseland? This is what makes the line of defence of the current detainees really interesting, albeit extremely serious. Personally, I cannot see how any reasonably ‘learned’ high court judge can rule that it is legal to subject the people of Barotseland to the Zambian constitution, and to the Zambian laws after terminating the Barotseland Agreement 1964, and subsequently consistently rejecting the inclusion of the Barotseland Agreement in the Zambian constitution. The truth of the matter is that what they have been doing all along has been nothing but fraud. [Ironically, it has been the people of Barotseland who have consistently demanded to be made Zambians by the inclusion of the Barotseland Agreement 1964 into the Zambian constitution, while the Zambians consistently refused.] It would also be interesting if the detainees called President Sata to be one of their key witnesses in view of his widely publicized complementary comments about both the Barotseland Agreement 1964 and Linyungandambo just before he got elected to the presidency. Undoubtedly and inevitably, dossiers of these atrocities will end up at the African Union, Commonwealth and the United Nations – as has already been the case. The Barotse National Freedom Alliance (BNFA), has opted to follow the legal route in its pursuance of the liberation of Barotseland. The BNFA is an alliance of the four main civic society organizations that were officially recognized as representing the people of Barotseland at the historic Barotse National Council (BNC) meeting of March, 2012 at Limulunga, Barotseland. The BNC is the supreme policy–making body of the kingdom on Barotseland, and its resolutions reflect the will and aspirations of the people. However, upon realizing that the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) had developed cold feet regarding the implementation of the very important resolutions of the BNC, all the civic society organizations present at the fore–referencedBNC, subsequently established the BNFA to take charge of the process of implementing the BNC resolutions, as per the will of the people. The BNFA derives its locus standi from the fact that the Barotseland Agreement 1964 was signed by the Litunga of Barotseland, “acting on behalf of himself, his heirs and successors, his council, and the chiefs and people of Barotseland.” In a very short time since its inception earlier this year, the BNFA has petitioned the African Union and has lobbied a number of other international organizations for support. Presently, the Alliance is engaged in preparing legal papers through the services of international lawyers in its resolve to free Barotseland from illegal occupation by Zambia. The BNFA has chosen a legal route; the matter of Barotseland cannot be resolved by the police or security forces; it is a political matter requiring a political solution; the BNFA shall deliver Barotseland to her people, peacefully but vigorously through the courts of law; the BNFA has taken the view that, indeed, this is a law matter, and not a war matter. Everything we’re doing is above–board and legal. There is no need to engage in any illegal activities over the matter of Barotseland – it is just too straight forward. Bo Stella Libongani, sitela sa mina kwa bana ba Silozi ki sa mbango mi hasina maemo. Mutuhele kubonganisa batu babasina mulatu, hakusi cwalo hañi–hañi mu ka yo ipumana kwa international criminal court. We’re busy cataloging and documenting all the crimes the police are committing under your command. So, a little bit of introspection on your part might do you some good. In the end those who are sending you to commit these atrocities could find themselves standing on safe ground while your hands will stand soiled with the blood of your brothers and sister – and that of your parents. Prof. Sitwala Namwinji Imenda was born in Zambia, and later graduated from the University of Zambia, SUNY-Albany (USA) and the University of British Columbia (Canada
Posted on: Wed, 25 Sep 2013 03:51:47 +0000
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