PRESS STATEMENT ON BNFA PUBLIC RALLY, FRIDAY 2<sup>nd</sup> OCTOBER 2015 AT THE BLUE GUMS GROUND

PRESS STATEMENT ON BNFA PUBLIC RALLY, FRIDAY 2^nd OCTOBER 2015 AT THE BLUE GUMS GROUND

BY BNFA SECRETARY GENERAL.

This is to inform members of the public that the Barotse National Freedom Alliance (BNFA) shall be holding a Public Rally on Friday 2^nd October 2015 at the Blue Gum grounds in Mongu-Lealui, Barotseland from 14:00 hrs to 18:00 hrs. COME ONE, COME ALL. KI TOBONE WAKUTA, YA KA SHWA KI YENA YA KA YAWA. The purpose of the Public Rally, in accordance with the notice given to Zambia Police, is:

“Information sharing on the Barotseland Issue”

This is in line with the BNFA outreach program to provide correct and accurate information on the actualization of Barotseland statehood in order to counteract a flurry of misinformation that is going round in both electronic and print media, most of which is coming from the occupying powers with the intent to confuse our people and incite them to erupt into lawlessness. Some of the press quarries go as far as inquiring if the police has given ‘permit’ for the meeting which we find quite laughable because the laws of Zambia do not require that the police should give permit for public rallies because it recognizes the fact that citizens have a RIGHT to hold assemblies as they see fit. All the law requires is that police is notified at least seven days prior to the planned meeting which we have aptly complied with by serving the police with a notice of meeting on Friday 25th September 2015 which read in part: “We the undersigned citizens do hereby give notice of our intention to hold a Public Rally in the Mongu Blue Gum grounds on Friday 2^nd October, 2015 from 14:00 hrs to 18:00 hrs ..... This notice is given pursuant to Articles 20 and 21 of the Constitution of Zambia as read with Section two (2) of the Public Order (Amendment) Act of 1996.”