Zambia police panic over BIs regalia and letter to President Lungu

by BNFA Publicity Wing

Zambia police today, Monday March 19, 2018 summoned Sinonge Lutangu, BNFA National Publicity Secretary and Chairperson Youth and interrogated him with a view to intimidate him over the Barotse Imilema (BIs) regalia and recent open letter to President Lungu. Sinonge was interrogated by Officer Commanding Mongu Chimpasa together with three other officers. Sinonge was accompanied by BNFA National Secretary Katukula Mwiya and two other members who were denied entry into the interrogation room. The BIs have been summoned to report themselves on March 20, 2018 for further interrogation.

During the interrogation, police complained that BNFA did not inform them about the acquisition of their regalia, to which Sinonge replied that the police have been officially notified about several public meetings to be held by BNFA, all of which were rejected. The police also interrogated Sinonge about purported meetings the BNFA is intending to undertake in the regions of Barotseland but Sinonge denied any knowledge of such meetings. The police further interrogated him over the March 18, 2018 open letter to President Lungu. The letter was written in response to persistent requests from Lungu himself, which date back to January 27, 2015 when he sent an emissary to the BNFA Chairperson Hon. WC Sinyinda. On January 28, 2015, President Lungu phoned the BNFA Chairperson and while in Ethiopia the President asked to be shown the boundaries of Barotseland. On December 11, 2017, the Minister of Justice Given Lubinda again requested the BNFA Chairperson General to write a letter to President Lungu.

BNFA has been reluctant to write any more letters on account of the numerous letters already written to President Lungu to which there has been no response. Lubinda was given some of those communications to show the President, including the Permanent Court Arbitration agreement submission process. However in January 2018 Lubinda phoned Sinonge prodding him again for the letter. The letter was eventually written on March 18, 2018 which clearly pointed out that the Zambian regime has no authority in Barotseland since 1969. They have been illegally administering Barotseland by force from 1969. Barotseland has since 1969 been a de facto colony of Zambia. We appeal to the people of Barotseland to support the struggle for the independence of their motherland and resist foreign domination. We ask the Zambia police to interrogate their President and Justice Minister as well as Zambia political leaders instead. They should all leave Barotseland.