BNFA CHAIRPERSON GENERAL’S FESTIVE SEASON MESSAGE—Don’t involve yourselves in the rest of Zambia’s presidential bye-elections for you have your own nation

BNFA CHAIRPERSON GENERAL’S FESTIVE SEASON MESSAGE—Don’t involve yourselves in the rest of Zambia’s presidential bye-elections for you have your own nation

by Clement Wainyae Sinyinda

Beloved countrymen, ladies, youths of our beloved nation of Barotseland ‘yona lyondo lya ng’uwa lya silila ng’eke lya mei bebi lya mulilo kule…’ I salute you all. I wish you all, severally and individually, all you may deserve, wish and much more, according to the grace of our Almighty God, yena Nyambangula. It does not matter wherever you may be in our beautiful nation of Barotseland, currently under the siege of the occupying Zambian forces. I relay this message also to Barotseland nationals in the diaspora of Zambian Babylon, beyond the borders of Zambia or indeed beyond the shores of mother Africa. I wish you peace and goodwill.

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will towards men” Lk 2: 14.

I take this opportunity to request you to reflect and consider the prospects of the nation of Barotseland in the world context. I am mindful of the fact that the rest of Zambia is merry making alongside bye president electioneering following the demise of its 5^th President Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata (MHSRIP). We take note that the rest of Zambia elections are illegally taking place in Barotseland as Barotseland took the decision to opt out of the defunct and failed unitary state of Zambia by way of the 27^th March 2012 BNC Resolutions. Barotseland finds itself in this quagmire due the fact that formalities of disengagement have not been commenced and finalised because of acute inertia and retrogressive arrogance the Zambian regime that stood in the way of efforts to start the process of disengagement. I wish to inform all sons and daughters of Barotseland, mina bana ba Poho ye Nsu that nothing will and can change or dilute the resolve of the Barotse nation to stand by the historic 27^th March 2012 BNC Resolutions. I repeat NOTHING, not even the arrogance of the Zambian government outgoing and incoming and the Zambian presidential bye-election on 20^th January 2015, we shall soldier on until the aspiration of our people are realised and we have a free and self-governing state of Barotseland. We have made huge strides as a people since March 2012 and there is no longer room for back-pedalling, among which are:

Petitioned the African Commission for Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) in Banjul, the Gambia, The Gambia, the Commission determined to be seized by the petition, which is currently on admissibility stage. Suffice to mention that the Zambian government has failed submit counter evidence;
Formation of the Barotse National Freedom Alliance (BNFA) an umbrella Organization which brings together all serious activist groups and individuals at home and abroad for common purpose;
Engagement of an internationally renowned and recognised law firm Messer’s Dougue & Kirtley who are specialist in international law, especially International arbitration.
Challenged the Zambian Government through our international lawyers to sign a submission Agreement to allow for the implications of the Zambian government’s unilateral abrogation of the BA’64 and Barotseland’s acceptance thereof and declaration of statehood to be determined by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague. I need to mention that while we were able to collect over 10,000 signatures from Barotse nationals in support of the PCA process, the Zambian government under the Patriotic Front regime chickened-out, which is an admission of guilty. I challenge the next Zambian regime to sign the PCA process; and
Engaged SADC and challenged it not to be mere spectators on Barotseland statehood but rather to be proactive and move in to avert a possible breakout of hostilities. I am aware that, as a result of our two pronged initiative, SADC is currently actively studying the issue for possible appropriate intervention;

BNFA is not concerned with the upcoming Zambia presidential bye-election because whoever is elected president should proceed with the dissolution of the unitary state of Zambia to allow parties to the failed unitary state to independently determine their destinies. So far, of the eleven (11) Zambia presidential candidates, only two have addressed the Barotseland statehood issues-- Dr Ludwig Sondashi of the Forum for Democratic Alternative (FDA) and Dr. Nevers Mumba of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD). They pointed out that the BA ’64 is an honourable Agreement that needs to be respected and advocating for its restoration is not in any way treasonable. They have both clearly stated that the decision of whether Barotseland remains within Zambia is a preserve and right of the Barotseland people and should be given an opportunity to exercise that right without hindrance. I wish to make known to whoever shall emerge victorious in the Zambia presidential bye-election that Barotseland has already decided for self-determination and self-rule in line with the BNC Resolutions of 27^th March 2012. What remains to be discussed is the disengagement process, sharing of assets and repayment of looted Barotseland treasury with interest. I challenge the Acting President, Dr Guy Lyndon Scott, to do a proper handover to the incoming administration, clearly stating that Barotseland lies outside the jurisdiction of the failed unitary state of Zambia. We have over and over again advocated for none violent and peaceful means to have this issues resolved so that Barotseland and the rest of Zambia can continue to co-exist as peaceful neighbours because this is not a War matter but a law matter. I wish to further challenge Dr Scott in as much as he has pardoned convicted criminals like Masumba and Mpombo, as a goodwill gesture over this season of peace to also release all those being held in Zambian detention centres and prison on Barotseland related charges. I find it extremely provocative for Zambian security forces to continue arresting people on charges for which other persons have been released on Nolle Prosquire. Further, I call on the International community to be more proactive and not stand on the fence as the issue of Barotseland statehood that could be amicably resolved without any bloodshed or hostility that has potential to deteriorate into a devastating catastrophe. Let the world take proactive measures to reward the Barotse people’s non-violence stance so that the rest of the world can know that it pays to be peaceful and to renounce violence and lawlessness. I wish to conclude by calling all members of the Barotse society to stand ready to govern Barotseland. SELFRULE IS COMING SOON and we must prepare ourselves to be in charge of our own affairs. Let all sectors of the Barotse society be prepared. That is; the Barotse Traditional Authorities, the activists, the technocrats and indeed you and me. Each of us must prepare to take their respective roles as we endeavour to rebuild our nation and bring it to the level where it should have been had it not been in the wilderness for the past 50 years. So let the Barotse Transitional Authority (BTA) be up and running because our freedom is much nearer now than any other time in our history. I say so because my dear friends, colleagues and compatriots:

With God on our side, Barotseland shall be free!

Clement Wainyae Sinyinda

Chairperson General–BNFA