Independent Barotseland’s Economic Survival
by BNFA Publicity Wing
Why fear the economic future of Barotseland when it holds so abundantly for you? Barotseland is well endowed with resources ranging from a rich cultural heritage, disciplined human resource, abundant water, arable land, timber to natural and mineral resources—including, gas, oil, coal, iron, copper, uranium and diamonds. These resources have remained unexploited, largely on account of Zambia’s illegal and maladministration of Barotseland following its 1969 unilateral abrogation of the Barotseland Agreement 1964, and the subsequent unwritten policy of successive Zambian regimes to keep the territory of Barotseland in perpetual economic servitude while at the same time crying for “one land one nation”. Why raise concern over Barotseland, when Zambia has been a bankrupt state since 1975 and survives on external grants/donations (aid), external and domestic borrowing, external debt right-off in 2006 and accumulating payment arrears. Zambia is not only a failed unitary state but an economic waste, which is yet to recover from self-inflicted economic mismanagement and ruin. Having forcefully grabbed public infrastructure and treasury from the Barotse National Government, successive Zambian regimes never financed Barotseland but through the above mentioned grants, donations and external borrowing. What benefit are you deriving from the illegal Zambian regime in terms of employment and supplies that you cannot get cheaper elsewhere? Nil. Zambia is the dependent territory on Barotseland and successive Zambian regimes have been shamelessly propagating otherwise. Why force yourself to be part of not only one of the world’s poorest economies but also a bankrupt failed unitary state of Zambia and wish to sustain a livelihood in perpetual oppression, unemployment and poverty? The creation of an independent state of Barotseland entails immediate employment creation in the public and private sectors. In the public sector, employment will be created to serve the four arms of government: Monarch, Executive, Legislature and Judiciary—administrators, professionals, experts, engineers, teachers, security personnel, nurses, cleaners, etc. The private sector will create added employment in all sectors of the economy—real and services. The creation of a state entails creation of employment, investment and money. In the initial stages, the exchange arrangement with no separate legal tender will be adopted based on the US dollar. The United States Dollar will be used as an initial legal tender. No Mulozi shall lose his job, those out of employment shall be employed while pensions shall be re-invested and made meaningful. In agriculture, major crops are millet, rice, sorghum, maize, tobacco, potatoes, kenaf, citrus and tropical fruits. Barotse rice has a distinctive taste in the entire sub-region—exotic juices such as mumbula, mumonsomonso and namulomo, shall be mass produced and commercialized. Cashew nut farming and aqua- culture shall be advanced. The livestock subsector boasts of cattle, goats, sheep, pigs and poultry. Barotseland is currently the major source of beef to Zambia, which in turn is exported to the rest of Africa through Zambeef, PLC, a private company quoted on the London Stock Exchange. In the forestry sector, Barotseland is the major source of hardwood in the Southern African sub-region and offers diverse forestry products. Further, Barotseland has vast quantities of unexploited mineral resources, ranging from metallic to non-metallic, such as coal, iron, lime, sand and clay, and precious and semi-precious minerals—diamonds, gold, and emeralds, and fossil fuels—oil and natural gas—major energy source. Already, electricity is being generated from the Musi-O-Tunya power station. In the tourism sector, major tourist attractions include the Kuomboka and the Kufuluhela ceremonies, the Musi-O-Tunya and Sioma falls, game parks, hunting and fishing, cultural and art events.