Barotseland and Zambia—two nations apart

by Saleya Kwalombota

Barotseland and Zambia cannot be one nation, the former is a Monarchy while the latter is a Republic. A nation refers to a large group of people who share a common language, ethnicity, descent, or history. Barotseland culture is far apart from the rest of Zambia. Barotseland culture, language and ethnicity is unique as such the combination with Zambia was erroneous, no wander the relationship could not Last.

This brings to mind the remarks by late Hon. Mufaya Mumbuna during the "hot" debate that almost turned into a physical battle during the second reading of constitution (Amendment) Act no.5 in October 1969. Responding to Mr. Speaker's guidance to members of the house not to use the name of Barotseland or Barotse province because His excellence Kenneth Kaunda had put the territory off the map, Hon Mumbuna said, "Mr speaker, Sir...we are put in a very embarrassing position because the very subject we are discussing, the termination of the Barotseland Agreement, is still known as the Barotseland Agreement. I have the Agreement here, I don't know how I am going to quote the document written as Barotseland Agreement. I hope we shall not be stopped to continue calling ourselves Barotse people."

The aforementioned depicts the extent to which the Zambian government, from inception schemed to extinct the nation of Barotseland to the extent of criminalizing the name not to be mentioned at any fora. Most Zambians today are a product of this diabolic scheme of redefining the 38 tribes of Barotseland into a non-existent single tribe called "Lozi", which in a real sense represents a national language of the people of Barotseland. Twisting facts has been Zambia's anatomy.

The Barotseland map was drawn on 11^th June 1890 before Zambia came into being. Therefore, it is illogical to claim that Barotseland is seceding from Zambia. On the basis of the BNC Resolutions, and under international law, Barotseland has legally reverted to the status of being an independent nation.

Further, Barotseland is not bound to honor the terms of the Zambian constitution following the 2012 Barotse National Council resolutions. The resolutions provided for the disengagement plan between the territories of Zambia and Barotseland, therefore, they must be given full legal effect.

According to the Zambia Independence Order section 20; Barotse people did not surrender their sovereignty and territory to a new state of Zambia. In view of this fact, the Barotse people have every right to reclaim their land in any manner, which is under occupation by the state of Zambia, equivalent to morden black to black colonization.

It is further annoying to observe the Lozi elites living in Zambian towns succumb to believing that Barotseland's sovereignty demand is a tribal undertaking. Moreover, language or tribal tag is one of Zambia’s greatest propaganda against the Barotseland question.

The fact remains a fact even in the face of mass misinformation aimed at decapitating the rights of the Barotseland people. Barotseland people should not even labour to prove the fact that Barotseland independence resolve is a matter of nationalism by struggling to either speak Zambian languages or play their songs or worse still both.

Let the people of Barotseland not go to sleep, the vision of living in an independent Barotseland is at hand. Soon and very soon, Zambia will remain in the dark part of its slogan of "fools" of "One Zambia One Nation".