Zambian government finally makes submission to the ACHPR on admissibility
by the BNFA Secretary General
I wish to confirm that the BNFA is in possession of the latest communication from the African Commission on Human and people’s Rights. This is in relation to Communication 429/12, The Ngambela of Barotseland and Others v. the Republic of Zambia, which matter has been seized by the Commission since November 2012 and is at currently admissibility stage. The Commission is simply informing Barotseland that the Zambia government has finally responded to the said Communication 429/12, three (3) years down the line. The commission has availed the Zambia submission to the petitioners, in this case of the Ngambela and Others v. the Republic of Zambia for their perusal with a request to provide any additional written information or observations’ within one month. Our immediate reaction is that Zambia’s submission is nothing more than in their abyss to continue to circumvent the principles of governance at a continental level of the African Union in the same manner it has done internally in respect of Barotseland. Like one wise Mulozi has said: “They are trying to solve an algebraic equation using unlike terms”. Our preliminary reading of the cases they have cited is that they are just clutching at straws to remain afloat. The references they have cited have no similarity, both in law and fact, to the conflict at hand between Barotseland and Zambia as well as being contradictory to the issues at hand. Therefore, they cannot be relied upon to resolve the dispute between Barotseland and Zambia. Efforts are currently underway respond to Zambia's contradictory submission. The response will be availed to the public after it has been submitted to the Commission.