By STAFF REPORTER
CHAIRPERSON of the Barotseland National Council (BNC) Mr. Nyambe Namushi has refuted media reports that his Barotseland Freedom Movement has territorial links with the Namibia’s Caprivi region in becoming a one sovereign state.
Mr.Namushi, confirmed to Caprivi Vision that he was not aware of the new political map of the Barotseland that includes Caprivi which appeared in the Namibia’s weekly paper recently.
He cleared out the matter saying, people who drew the map are enemies of the Barotseland and it won’t be possible for Caprivi to be part of the western province of Zambia as it used to be since it was dethroned from Barotseland in 1907 in exchange of Zanzibar by the former British Colony.
When asked to shed some lights on the latest development on the issue of the BNC after the meeting that was held on 26-27 March 2012, “Things are going well and the council that was elected is working on it but I cannot divulge more on it only the Ngambela ( prime minister) can talk more on these issues. Powers to rule ourselves have been taken away from us but they should stay knowing that the Barotse people will rule themselves the way they want” said Mr. Namushi.
Barotse Chairperson also added that as people who want to form their Kingdom, they don’t need any help from somewhere.“ we help ourselves, the Barotse people will donate money to take our case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and it’s not that we are breaking away from Zambia its only that they failed to honour our agreement that was indicating that Northern Rhodesia and Barotseland were together and now they don’t want the Barotseland to be called on its own, we want to be in the way we used to be and called”. He explained.
“What they are doing today (Constructions of road networks ) is just to touch us on eyes and we won’t follow them there is no truth on it if they were serious they could honour the 1964 agreement because that agreement was giving us more power and now since they said they don’t want to agree with us then they have given us power to rule ourselves and it won’t end here it will go up to international court of justice we won’t pull back as our people want to rule themselves.”
Asked on how true was the allegations that the current president of Zambia Michael Chilufwa Sata promised the Barotse people to rule themselves during his presidential campaigns , “Its true himself Sata mentioned it in the meeting that was held in Mongu that he will bring back the 1964 agreement but when he came in now as the president he failed to honour that agreement so by now we won’t trust them because they change at any time”. He explained.
He further called on people to remain calm and stay freely as they are not fighting but working with their minds to free the Barotseland.
“ We are not going to fight with our weapons, we will use our minds to liberate western province from Zambia” he promised.
In January last year, the Rupiah Banda-led MMD government sent hundreds of police and intelligence personnel to Mongu to prevent a meeting called by Barotse activists to discuss the Barotseland Agreement, and as a result there were fatalities after some people were shot in cold blood.
Nkoya and Mbunda clans in Western province have opposed the Barotse enquiry of secession.
Asked for comments on the matter, Mr. Mishake Muyongo the Caprivi Leader who is now living in exile in Denmark said “Why do they do it like that? Caprivi is not part of the Barotseland it’s an independent strip, it has nothing to do with the Barotseland and it’s not their debate, we are Caprivians and we have our borders.” He said.
Is it not going to affect your struggle if they do it quicker?
I don’t know how quicker they will make it but it will not affect our struggle for Caprivi, our struggle is the liberation of the Caprivi. Barotseland is the different state if they were agreements with Zambia and are now fighting it’s their struggle, I don’t know why should they have to make that political map you are talking about, they should not try to complicate matters we should be good neighbours.
Any other latest development so far?
Your government have stopped people from having a peaceful demonstration, they were threatened by so called civil servant of the government, stopping people from having a peaceful demonstration by a government is a threat
What is your suggestion now?
My suggestion is simple, if anybody is clear in thinking you sit down and talk to the people, the issue for Caprivi is simple by talking not threatening people and we are now talking about the International Court of Justice where there is progress and I am happy about that.
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