Chimpasa orders BIs arrest over their regalia
by BNFA Publicity Wing
[caption id="attachment_3981" align="alignleft" width="198"] BIs Regalia[/caption]
On Wednesday March 21, 2018 Officer Commanding Mongu Chimpasa ordered the arrest of Barotse Imilemas (BIs) who reported themselves to Mongu Central Police Station at 10:00 hrs for further interrogations. The group of six BIs was led by Sinonge Lutangu, BNFA National Publicity Secretary/National Chairperson Youth. It was accompanied by BNFA Vice Chairperson General Mutumba Lyamba and other BNFA leaders. This was a follow-up to their earlier summon to Sinonge to report himself with a view to intimidate him over the BIs regalia and recent open letter to President Lungu.
However, the interrogating team decided not to arrest the BIs on humanitarian grounds but instead gave them up to 14:00 hrs not to wear their regalia failure to which they would be arrested. This incensed Chimpasa who said, “me I am a pure Bemba and I know what the symbol the BIs use means and the regalia does not give us (Bembas) comfort”. The BIs in response asked the police to state which law forbids them to wear what they want. They further asked the police to put their instructions in writing, which they declined. The BIs in turn told the police that they will continue putting on their regalia. If they want to arrest them, they should go ahead and do so.
This case is yet another demonstration of the Zambian regime’s continued violations of the human rights of the people of Barotseland using state terrorism. Zambia police in Barotseland is an armed partisan and tribal agent of the Zambian regime. Does Chimpasa pretend not to know that it was Kaunda who divided Zambia by unilaterally abrogating the Barotseland Agreement 1964 in 1969? Does Chimpasa pretend not to know that the people of North Eastern Rhodesia voted against the BA’64 in the 1968 referendum? Does Chimpasa pretend not to know that he is an armed agent of the oppressive Zambian regime ordering the arrest of innocent people of Barotseland in their own country? Does Chimpasa pretend not to know that he and many like him are in Barotseland illegally by force of arms? Who is a Bemba to tell the people of Barotseland or indeed elsewhere what to wear? Chimpasa and others like him should stand ready to defend themselves for their transgressions against the people of Barotseland. The time has now come for all the people of Barotseland to turn their back on the Zambia state machinery and politics, for they are instruments deployed to continue oppressing them.