OPEN LETTER TO IG OF POLICE MUSAMBA

by William Harrington, BNFA Trustee, Senanga

Likute Bo Masumba.

Firstly, I am a son of the soil of Barotseland having been born in the Protectorate many years before the failed "marriage" between Barotseland and North-Eastern Rhodesia in 1964 and, therefore, please note my interest.

I am also Trustee of the Barotse National Freedom Alliance (BNFA) an organisation that stands for PEACE.

I have said it before and will repeat by way of EMPHASIS.

The issue of Barotseland is a legal matter. It will not and indeed cannot be resolved through threats and strong arm tactics from the State. It is an open secret that the Barotseland Agreement 1964 is an International Treaty which was unilaterally abrogated in 1964 by the Government of the day. This development has been challenged since that time. The Barotse National Freedom Alliance (BNFA) one of the organizations formed and tasked to implement the Barotse National Council Resolutions of 2012, did present 6th Republican President Edgar Chagwa Lungu with the Permanent Court of Arbitration Submission Document to agree to take the matter of Barotseland for arbitration by that neutral and impartial body aforementioned. President Lungu neglected, ignored or simply refused to sign. Soon after current President Hakainde Hichilema assumed office in 2022, fresh documents were presented to him. I delivered the documents personally to State House. BNFA sincerely believed that President HH would keep his campaign promise and that of his party that he, HH, would WILLINGLY, AMICABLY and PEACEFULLY resolve the issue of the Barotseland. Alas, President HH has acted likewise. There is deafening silence from him. Accordingly, I urge HH to sign the Permanent Court of Arbitration Submission Agreement.

At a recent press conference, President HH in an answer to a question, assured the nation that during his tenure of office he would not allow blood to be spilt on the plains of Barotseland. The BNFA welcomed that assurance as progressive. So Bo IG Musamba, I am PLEADING that you should be the last person to express yourself in the manner you are doing. Let us learn lessons that threats and strong-arm tactics have never worked in the past, will not work now and can never work in the future. We can draw lessons from the so-called Mongu disturbances of 2010 when Barotse nationals were arrested, imprisoned, tortured and even killed but that sad occurrence has not changed the people's resolve. Nelson Mandela (MHSRP) suffered many years of incarceration under the Apartheid regime but eventually the will of the people prevailed. The rest is history. I am pleading to you to be sensitive to the fact that the people of Barotseland are still grieving at the loss of relatives and friends who suffered injury and loss of life following the Mongu disturbances. PLEASE DO NOT ADD SALT TO THE INJURY.

The solution to the Barotseland - Zambia impasse lies in President HH appending his signature to the Permanent Court of Arbitration Submission Agreement. I also believe that you as IG of Police is well positioned to use your professional acumen to convince the President of the importance of the arbitration process as is being proposed by the BNFA on behalf of the BNC and the people of Barotseland generally.

Just a polite reminder, you may wish to recall that General Christon Tembo (MHSRP) fell-out with First Republican President Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda for allegedly "refusing" to send the Zambian Army to quell riots on the Copperbelt. Gen. Tembo, as a matter of principle, refused to use the peaple's army against its own people!!!

Muzuhe hande.