PRESS STATEMENT BY THE BAROTSE NATIONAL FREEDOM ALLIANCE (BNFA) IN RESPONSE TO THE ZAMBIA POLICE SERVICE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE PRESS STATEMENT DATED 25th NOVEMBER 2014 AND SUBSEQUENT RADIO INTERVIEW BY POLICE DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON AIRED ON ZNBC RADIO 2 THE MORNING OF 27th NOVEMBER 2014! We the Barotse National Freedom Alliance (BNFA) are deeply disturbed, perturbed and dismayed by the statement attributed to the Zambia Police Service and Public Relation office issued on 25th November 2014 and aired on MUVI TV the evening of the same day. A subsequent Radio interview by the Deputy Police Spokesperson Mr. Ray Hamoonga was aired on ZNBC Radio 2 in the morning of 27th November 2014 at around 08:30hrs and quoted in the current affairs program Radio News Reel after 13:30 hrs on the same day. A brief background to the statement as we understand, is that earlier this month, Mongu Police summoned our leader, Hon Clement W. Sinyinda and put it to him that they (Police) had information to the effect that he has been holding dark corner meetings planning to kill certain personalities, destroy government infrastructure and installations within Barotseland with the intent to disrupt the way of life so as to sabotage the upcoming Presidential elections. This is the latest episode in the Zambian Government sponsored campaign of terror and torture in Barotseland through the Police and all other Zambian Security forces. These so called Securty forces are to the Barotse people simply occupying forces designed to instill a sense of insecurity, terror and anguish. As should be expected Hon Sinyinda rubbished the allegations declaring that the BNFA course is not a hidden agenda but an open struggle for basic human rights of the Barotse People among them the right to self determination. Consequently they have no need or use for dark corner meetings because Government is fully aware of whatever moves BNFA has taken and knows BNFA has no place for violence or lawlessness because ours is a strictly peaceful and none violent struggle, it is a law matter not a war matter . Two days later the Mongu Police summoned some youths from Barotse Imilema (BI), a youth Activist group, and made same or similar allegations to them. The Youth gave the police elaborate answers to the charges in principle denying any connection to the charges. The youths went further to seek audience with the Zambian Governments Resident Minister in Barotseland to register their dismay and utter disgust at the continued harassment and provocation by the Zambian Police Force and other so called Security Forces currently flooding Barotseland. After two failed appointments the youths were forced to leave a signed copy of their statement for the minister. After they did that, they gave an interview to the press (MUVI TV) on the contents of the statement. With this background it utterly appalling to read the statement by the police and listen to the Police Deputy spokesperson making such unfounded and ignorant assertions. In our opinion the statements by the police amounts to continued provocations and intimidation of our otherwise peaceful youths who are doing their best to maintain their cool under a very difficult situation and circumstances. We wish to make it very clear to Mr. Hamoonga and anyone who may pretend not to know the facts that: i. The Barotseland case is a clear and real issue that will not go by simply wishing it away or by intimidation and empty threats. Since 1965 people have been threatened, intimidated, arrested, maimed, and killed with others made to disappear completely but the struggle continues, ALUTA CONTINUA. ii. The question of secession does not arise in the case of Barotseland because this is an issue of two territories held together by an agreement, in this case Barotseland Agreement 1964, falling asunder on the basis of that agreement being abrogated by one of the parties. If at all anyone is guilty of secession it is the party that is guilty of the abrogation of the unity treaty and in this case it is the Zambian Government. iii. Barotseland, through the Barotse National Council (BNC) Resolution of March 2012 resolved to accept Zambias Repudiation of the Barotseland Agreement 1964 after more than four and half decades of trying to restore the agreement. Please note Resolutions 5 & 6 of the March 2012 BNC Resolutions especially: 5. The Barotse Government should immediately formalize the DECLARATION OF DISPUTE with the Zambian Government on the basis that the Zambian Government has violated and unilaterally abrogated the Unity Treaty whose purpose was to bind the two territories of Barotseland and the rest of Zambia, and also notify the SADC, AU, Commonwealth and United Nations of that fact. 6. The people of Barotseland shall exercise their right to revert Barotseland to its original status as a sovereign nation, so that the people of Barotseland shall determine their own political, cultural, social and economic development. Consequently every loyal Mulozi is bound by those resolutions and if the Police has a problem with that, they should go for the over 2000 people that gathered to endorse those historical resolutions or the key organizers of the BNC which is the highest policy making body in Barotseland instead of bullying innocent youths who are simply abiding by those resolutions. Needless to say that the BNC Resolutions were made in broad daylight in the full view of the Zambian Government who included the Zambia Police and the then Resident Minister, Hon. John Kufuna. The Zambian Government was served with not only the signed copy of the Resolutions but also a dossier of the entire proceedings and a letter formally stating the position of Barotseland as having accepted Zambias repudiation of the BA 64 stating the resultant consequence. iv. If the Zambian Government and its police force is so confident that anyone talking about Barotselands right to self determination is committing a crime they call treason; why have they cowered from making representations to the African Human and Peoples Rights Commission (AHPRC) based in Banjul, the Gambia where a petition by Barotseland is pending despite being given notice to the same? Why have they cowered from signing a Submission Agreement to allow our lawyers to take the matter to the International Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague despite being challenged to do so? Is it not because the old adage is still true which says the guilty are afraid. We are well aware that numerous people have been arrested since 1965 over the Barotseland Issue but none has been successfully prosecuted or convicted for treason because of the simple fact that IT IS NOT TREASON TO SEEK FREEDOM. Hence the Zambia Government is well aware that since they cannot secure conviction in the Zambian Court system they simply cannot stand before an unbiased and impartial international tribunal. v. While we have made it very clear in numerous pronouncements to the Zambian Government and to the international community that ours is a peaceful, none violent struggle based on lawful demand for the restoration of basic Human Rights to the people of Barotseland, the Zambian Government through the Police and other security forces have continued to be aggressive and provocative in their campaign of state sponsored terrorism and torture. We want the whole world to know that should the situation in Barotseland deteriorate into hostilities it is the Zambian Government and its police force to blame. How can a police public relations office say, and we quote; The fact that the youths are claiming to be peaceful in advocating their interests of secession is immaterial? Is Zambia still a democracy, for Gods sake where people cannot use peaceful means to make their demands known to Government? Martin Luther King Jr., the great civil rights activist was credited with the following statement and we quote; But it is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without at the same time condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause some individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention . And I must say tonight that riot is the language of the unheard Emphasis supplied. The BNFA strongly feels it is high time that Zambia awoke from the deep slumber of thinking that the Barotseland issue will simply go away. It has not for the past 50 years and it is certainly not promising to go away no matter how many empty threats, aggression, terror and torture our people may have to go through. We will simply not allow 500 years legacy of our existence as a sovereign self governing kingdom be wiped away by 50 years of Zambias forced dominion over us, never! Our free advice to the Zambian government or should we say the incoming Zambian government is: Face the challenge and resolve this impasse before it gets out of hand like a wild fire. On our part we are more than willing to sit at the round table to peacefully discuss the terms of disengagement. With God on our side Barotseland shall be free! THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE BAROTSE NATIONAL FREEDOM ALLIANCE.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 07:47:28 +0000
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