Trial of the 6 Barotse youths rescheduled to June 23, 2017—as the oppressive Zambia regime takes full advantage of the leadership vacuum in Barotseland

Trial of the 6 Barotse youths rescheduled to June 23, 2017—as the oppressive Zambia regime takes full advantage of the leadership vacuum in Barotseland

by BNFA Publicity Wing

Trial of the 6 Barotse youths has been rescheduled to June 23, 2016. The youths appeared for mention on June 12, 2017 before Magistrate Mwale in Mongu. They were earlier scheduled for trial on June 16, 2017 but the Magistrate chose not to be available on that date in line with the oppressive Zambia regime’s continued efforts to silence the Barotse into submission, thereby trying to undo the undoable—continue to deny the people of Barotseland their inalienable human right to self-determination, freedom of expression, freedom of speech, freedom of assemble, freedom of association and right to employment. The youths have all been granted bail as of June 12, 2017. They were earlier arrested on May 28, 2017 and subjected to all forms of torture for the offence of unlawful assembly following their gathering at one of their friend’s home who was bereaved. The affected youth are: Saviour Silumesi Mumbela, Pumulo Silumesi, Nawa Nawa, Inambao Mwanangombe, Loyd Musialela and Simui Nalumago. Please stretch your hand of assistance to our grant youths. The 7^th youth—Vincent Mwakoi—was but a mole and was let loose by the police.

The oppressive Zambia regime is taking full advantage of the leadership vacuum, which have befallen Barotseland in the light of embattled Litunga Edwin Lubosi Imwiko and his Likombwa’s forsaking both their people and the Barotse National Council Resolutions of March 27, 2012. We ask the Barotse to be steadfast to the present realities that the unitary state of Zambia is no more whereby Barotseland has been under siege since 1969. For how long are we going to allow the people from North Eastern Rhodesia continue to deceive us under the barrel of the gun? Time has come for these oppressors and job seekers to pack their bags and return to their own territory for the Agreement that had united us as one nation is no more. It was unilaterally abrogated by themselves as far back as 1969 with the sole purpose of denying us our human rights. Now is the time for us to take charge of our own affairs.