POSITION STATEMENT AND DECLARATION ON THE “NEW MUNICIPAL CONSTITUTION OF ZAMBIA”

by the Barotse National Freedom Alliance (BNFA)—Namungelele

  The Barotse National Freedom Alliance (BNFA)—Namungelele, an organization comprising several interest, activist and all ethnic groupings of Barotseland across the board as well as Civil Society Organizations, is implementing the Barotse National Council Resolutions of March 27, 2012.   Barotseland is a bona fide registered member of the Unrepresented Peoples Organization (UNPO) based in Brussels, Belgium.   In making this declaration, we underscore the following issues:  
  1. Recalling that the Barotseland Agreement 1964 (BA’64) was unilaterally abrogated in 1969 by the Zambian government.
  2. Following the recent assenting of the “New Municipal Constitution of Zambia” by Republican President, Edgar Chagwa Lungu, on January 5, 2016 thereby given legal effect to the Municipal Constitution Bill.
  3. Noting that the BA'64 has been omitted from the New Municipal Constitution, which reaffirms the government of Zambia’s refusal to recognize the BA'64 between the Litunga Sir Mwanawina III Lewanika on behalf of the people of Barotseland on one part and the then Prime Minister of Northern Rhodesia Mr. Kenneth Kaunda on the other, which brought about the birth of Zambia as a sovereign unitary state.
  4. Observing that calls upon successive Zambian regimes to restore the BA'64, the “marriage” between Barotseland and Northern Rhodesia have been in futility but instead attracted violent response—arrests, beatings, torture, incarceration and death at the hands of the Zambia state.
  5. Recalling that the BNC of March 26-27, 2012, where all the ethnic groupings were ably represented, resolved inter alia that:
 

“We now inform Zambia and the international community that we finally accept the unilateral nullification and the abrogation of the Barotseland Agreement 1964 by the Zambian government, which action has freed Barotseland from being part of Zambia.

Resolution 6. The people of Barotseland shall exercise their right to revert Barotseland to its original status as sovereign nation so that the people of Barotseland shall determine their political, cultural, social and economic development.

Resolution 8. The Barotse government should within 30 days put in place a transitional process leading to taking over all government functions in Barotseland”.

6. Appreciating that Barotse National Council is the only surviving and highest policy making body in Barotseland and that every Barotse national and governance organs, including the Litunga, have to abide by its decisions.

7. Aware that the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has made a decision on admissibility in the case between the People of Barotseland v. Zambia and will table its report before the Heads of state summit scheduled for January 30-31, 2016 at the African Union. The people of Barotseland are highly expectant of the outcome of the apex body and are praying for a peaceful and amicable disengagement of Barotseland from the failed unitary state of Zambia.

8. Recognizing that the Barotse nation comprises of thirty eight (38) ethnic groups where no single group can claim influence over any matter relating to the current and future status of Barotseland. Further, that no particular group can demand any special treatment and/or consideration on Barotseland’s legal right to statehood.

The BNFA now DECLARES that the omission of the BA'64in the “New Municipal Constitution of Zambia” vindicates the Barotse National Council Resolutions of March 27, 2012 and CALLS on the people of Barotseland to rally behind their Resolutions as well as the BNFA in implementing the said Resolutions in a legal, democratic, diplomatic and non-violent manner.   We CALL on the international community to recognize and support the Barotseland statehood and to impose sanctions against Zambia for occupying Barotseland and continued violence against the Barotse.   We CALL on the Zambia regime to immediately release ALL Barotse nationals incarcerated in their prisons and cells as well as to stop the prosecution, intimidation and harassment of our people on trumped up charges.   We DEMAND vacation of the Barotseland territory in its entirety by the Zambian regime.