Zambia’s new municipal constitution reiterates the 2012 BNC Resolutions—release all Barotseland political prisoners from Zambian jails
by BNFA Publicity Wing
To those who are still in doubt or pretend to be not in the know, Zambia’s new municipal constitution endorsed by Edgar Lungu in January 2016 reiterates the unanimous the 2012 Barotse National Council Resolutions. The new constitution completely buries what was once a unitary state of Zambia—it is no more. As Edgar rightly put it at the recent burial of Mrs. Kapwepwe, the One Zambia-One Nation slog only exists on people’s lips, the country was divided far back in 1969 by Zambia’s first President Kaunda when he unilaterally abrogated the Barotseland Agreement 1964. Since then, the Zambian government has been teaching our children comical and wrong history. In the meantime, Zambia has continued to colonise Barotseland as part of its territory, thereby disregarding the legal provision’s that bonded Barotseland and Northern Rhodesia to form a unitary state styled as the Republic of Zambia. From the moment that Kaunda abrogated the Barotseland Agreement 1964, the people of Barotseland were freed to govern themselves and with Edgar’s signature on the new municipal constitution of Zambia in the wake of 2012 BNC Resolutions there is no reason for any further delay in actualizing Barotseland statehood. The African Union and regional organisations such as the Southern Africa Development Community should not breed and protect colonialists in Africa such as Zambia. They must adhere to their resolutions and goals of silencing guns in Africa in resolving conflict. This calls for sincerity courage and sacrifice to advise the Zambian government, which still lives in the era of colonialization to vacate Barotseland forthwith. The people of Barotseland are ready to run their own affairs, but if Zambia as a colonising power thinks it can continue to suffocate the people of Barotseland and continue robbing them of their cultural, material and financial resources, then they have a problem on their hands. Africa is saying “Brother should not fight or kill brother”. Africa and the international community should no longer turn a blind eye on these successive Zambian dictators who continue torture and incarcerate Barotseland nationals using their government institutions. Zambia and not Barotseland will be a sorry site one day, this is an assurance, if civilised thinking and logic does not prevail. We call upon the Zambian dictator and colonialists to release all Barotse political prisoners from their jails. The AU and the international community should intervene before a disaster happens. A peaceful disengagement is logical for us all.Enough is enough.