Zambian government deception—seeks co-operation with BNFA while at the same enlisting the Church of Central Africa in oppressing Barotseland

by BNFA Publicity Wing

Agents of the oppressive Zambia regime in Mongu took a serious stance on February 22, 2018 and approached several Barotse National Freedom (BNFA) leaders and youth and promised to offer them jobs in exchange for their co-operation during Zambia President’s Lungu visit to Barotseland. Lungu is scheduled to visit Barotseland commencing February 28, 2018 for three days on a campaign trail that was preceded by a similar visit by Vice President Inonge Wina.

Our source revealed that the Zambian agents approached him for that purpose but advised them to offer those jobs to PF cadres because President Lungu and his agents are not welcome in Barotseland. Neither are we seeking jobs from North Eastern Rhodesians (Zambians). The agents where reminded that the youth of Barotseland demand political independence of Barotseland now.

In a related development, the Church of Central Africa (CCA) has called for a prayer and fasting period from March 1-30, 2018 against independence of Barotseland at the request of President Lungu. It is very clear that the Bemba Synod and Lungu have declared war against God’s will. The CCA is the remnant of the United Church of Zambia (UCZ), which was Kaunda’s creation. UCZ was comprised of the Church of Barotseland, Methodist Church and Church of Central Africa. UCZ has since broke-up, the break-up was led by the Methodist Church, which was followed by the Church of Barotseland in 1993. However, with the break-away of the Church of Barotseland, the government of Zambia assisted the CCA(UCZ) to grab all the properties and assets of the Church of Barotseland. To date the CCA(UCZ) continues diverting/misappropriating the Church of Barotseland resources from CEVA (successor to the Paris Evangelical Mission), which had ignited the break-up. The imminent loss of such a fortune will be huge blow to CCA/UCZ. Therefore, CCA(UCZ) has its own vested interest in supporting Zambia to continue oppressing Barotseland. Further, this call coincides with the period when the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report on Zambia is due. It should be remembered that the BNFA participated at UPR in Geneva in 2017 where it exposed Zambia’s continued violations of the human rights against the people of Barotseland, including the right to self-determination.

It should also be remembered that it is the same Lungu who assented the new municipal constitution of Zambia in January 2016, which neither recognized the Barotseland Agreement 1964 nor the Litunga, despite promising the African Commission of Human and Peoples Rights and the people to restore it. He made the promise while knowing very well that he, his government and the people of North Eastern Rhodesia had no intentions of doing so. It is also clear that Kaunda singed the BA’64 with the same motivations. Barotseland was separated from Zambia by an  action of the Zambian regime  in accordance with the laws of Zambia. That action was preceded by a national referendum in 1968 in which all the people from North Eastern Rhodesia rejected the BA’64. UCZ was there, why was it silent at the time? Why is CCA/UCZ  silent when the government of Zambia is denying the people of Barotseland their freedom, including the freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of association and freedom of movement? Today, the people of North Eastern Rhodesia stand united against Barotseland, including CCA/UCZ. It is time for Barotseland to stand united.

The BNFA calls on all the people of Barotseland and righteous UCZ members not to be hoodwinked by this call for prayers and fasting from workers of iniquity but join hands in praising God and in prayers, thanking the Almighty God for liberating Barotseland from Zambian (North Eastern Rhodesia) bondage. We leave it to the Almighty God to judge Lungu and his agents of oppression.