Friday, March 29, 2024

FODEP calls for indaba on Barotseland Agreement

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FODEP Executive Director, McDonald Chipenzi
FODEP Executive Director, McDonald Chipenzi

THE Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has advised President Sata to call for a tripartite meeting regarding the Barotseland Agreement controversy to avoid a recurrence of loss of lives and bloodshed in Western Province.

FODEP executive director MacDonald Chipenzi said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday the Barotseland Agreement issue should be resolved through a tripartite meeting because it was signed under a meeting of three different parties.

Commenting on President Sata’s revelations that a group of people in Western Province is attempting to form its own State, Mr Chipenzi said the head of State should call for a meeting involving the Litunga, former President Kaunda and himself.

“We do not want to see a recurrence of killing innocent people and shedding of blood like what happened during the MMD rule.

“What we need is serious dialogue and this should involve the President, the Litunga and former President Kaunda, who was part of the people who signed the Barotseland Agreement,” he said.

Mr Chipenzi said it is unfortunate that people are still talking about the Barotseland Agreement and creation of a state within a State when Zambia is one.

He said the Barotseland Agreement should be resolved through dialogue because it was signed by former President Kaunda, the Litunga and a representative of Queen Elizabeth, a process which involved dialogue.

Mr Chipenzi said now that the Barotseland Agreement has resurfaced even under the Patriotic Front (PF) Government, there is need to have a tripartite meeting to resolve the matter conclusively.

Mr Chipenzi said if it will mean including the Barotseland Agreement in the constitution-making process, this should be done so that the matter is resolved.

He said sending police officers to Western Province will not help to solve the matter but will aggravate the situation, which might lead to loss of lives.

On Friday, President Sata disclosed in Kabwe during the commissioning parade of 164 Zambia Army officer cadets that a group of people in Western Province is attempting to form its own State and has already appointed a Prime Minister.

The President described the situation as serious and castigated the police and ministers of Defence and Home Affairs for failing to deal with the matter.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

13 COMMENTS

  1. Mr President, what is the police and the army supposed to do? Are you not the one who pardoned those crooks and intistituted a useless Commission of enquiry in the so called, Mongu saga? You are now feeling the full weight of populist actions with no value. Wake up, while you still have time and put things right. Those people must go back to prison.

  2. Well said Chipenzi. Infact you should called it like it is and said that KK is the chap who dribbled the Litunga by abrogating the BA64 agreement. The Litunga and the Queens rep took part in these discussions in good faith but KK hoodwinked them and by 1969, pulled a fast one the poor Litunga. Sata added salt to the wound by claiming that he’d ‘restore’ the BA64 within 90days! I agree with FODEP, Cobra should sit with KK and the Litunga and other reps to map a way forward.

    • Implementation of BA 64 is a non starter. It has many flaws that need to be worked on such as the Nkoyas who do not want to be part of the agreement. It was politicking and a good dribble for the establishment from which they must learn a lesson. Sanders, KK and the Litunga were naive because they wanted independence but did not take into account the long term problems. Western can be given freedom but with democratic values it can soon deteriorate into a battle ground as they wrestle and jostle for power.
      The best PF can do is to diallogue and show the others pieces of the agreement that might be in conflict with the national, defence and security interests.

  3. I think this is a good decision – Let all leasdership come out and state their stance on this publicly. Some of them are busy politicking – will mention no names.

  4. pliz stop using westrn province when refering to barotseland.the name given by kk as westren province was not in consultion with the BRE and kaunda at that time did not possess the powersd to do so.so u fodep man,so wastern province is a nick name that does not exist for barotseland.infact,a serous ghost is still coming for those who killed pipo in barotse.do they really know the man they caused to die?.thatwas mr mututwa mwana,big man.wait until a serious ghost like that one of nalumino mundia which is still causing trouble at a certain home start make people go mad. and then we point at them and say,’those are the foolishmen who caused pipo to die in barotse.after somemonths Hon mututwa will come out for revenge.they will live to regret it.

  5. KK is alive the queen is there and litunga why can’t they resolve it. KK ‘s silence begs many questions. KK duped the litunga as he was supposed to have a state of his own like Swaziland. So KK reduced the litunga to a nobody by making him a member of the ncc in parliament and told people not to kneel to him as a sign of respect. Litunga was so respected and never was he seen in public and worse off Sata when he was minister authored a document that planned to dethrone the litunga so with these combination of facts Sata will never ever be honest or keep his promise on BA

  6. That may be the way to go. The international community should also help out. , apart from being a key witnes,KK is no longer a factor. Our very dear first predident lied in front of the British, the Litunga and the people of Barotseland on the eve of zambia’s independence. All documents relating to the BA64, including subsequent legislations and correspondence between and among the parties envolved must be minutely examined. While at it, examine british records as well.

  7. ‘@ 1 chikalajekenty ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; it,s an article by the daily mail, by the time it gets on tonga WD it will be very edited so distorted it will be promoting civil disorder.;;; tonga WD is a platform for under5 the most experienced presidential loser he has had his hat trick, 2016 will just be his final rejection.only people like you see the tonga WD as normal

  8. If President Michael Sata means well with respect to the Barotseland issue, the suggested panel discussion should be the way to go. Indeed if we are a civilized nation, then we should applaud this suggestion.

  9. Mr Fodep man government do not need to be told what to do. They know. Zambia is. Not 2 years old. Surely. If in the past 47 years we have not developed mature leadership in this country, then perhaps Lozi s may have a point.

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