The Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) has appealed to activists calling for the restoration of the Barotseland Agreement to be peaceful and learn to tolerate opposing views.
ZEC, a group of Catholic bishops, said in a statement released yesterday that the activists should commit themselves to peaceful means in their advocacy and should tolerate people with different views on the subject.
The bishops said while it was the right of the activists to organise and associate with anybody, it was important to respect the rights of other people who did not belong to the groupings and may have different views on the subject.
“We appeal to the activist groups, particularly the Linyungandambo, Barotse Freedom Movement, Movement for the Restoration of Barotseland Agreement and the Barotse Patriotic Front to commit themselves to peaceful means of advocating for their demands,” the statement reads in part.
It said all stakeholders in the matter should commit to peace by refraining from violence, intimidation or use of force as a means of achieving their objectives.
The bishops said dialogue was the best way forward.
The bishops did not blame any particular party for the violence that took place in January this year in Mongu but called for a lasting solution to remove tension in Western Province.
[pullquote]“We appeal to the activist groups, particularly the Linyungandambo, Barotse Freedom Movement, Movement for the Restoration of Barotseland Agreement and the Barotse Patriotic Front to commit themselves to peaceful means of advocating for their demands,” the statement reads in part.[/pullquote]
They said although they realised the duty of the Government to maintain law and order, it was important not to use live ammunition on the public again.
The bishops appealed to President Rupiah Banda to exercise his prerogative to release those detained in connection with the violence in Mongu in January this year.
They also said the Government should address perceptions that Western Province was sidelined in matters of development.
The bishops said they acknowledged efforts by the Government to take development to the province and called for more development programmes.
They said diocesan groupings, deaneries, parishes and small Christian communities should use every opportunity available to preach, promote and to be witnesses of peace and unity.
[ Times of Zambia ]
They are doing what is right what more can they they do when denied PLATFORM TO AIR their grief. The use of live amunition to fellow human beings is totally undemocratic but dictatorship.
That Duff should keep ziii olo tiza mu deporta
#1 Limpo: Spot on. Unongile wahesu, kiniti!
As #1 has stated in plain english what more do you want the guys to do. They had planned a peaceful meeting until police were deployed to harass the citizens of Barotse. The people will rise against this kind of intimidation and harassment. Luka bona nako ya Election silimo se. long live Barotse Land
Zambia Episcopal Conference bishops have been bought, that is what we shall hear from PF kaponyas on LT. According to their bible anyone who preaches peace has been bought, they would rather see riots and violence in Barotseland and everywhere else, simply to portary chaos in the nation.
This same story iz also carried by The Post only that the Times haz selected to write the article in away that depicts the Catholic Bishops az being sympathetic withe government.
I don’t understand the openning statement: ‘The Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) has appealed to activists calling for the restoration of the Barotseland Agreement to be peaceful and learn to tolerate opposing views.’
Are the BA activists asking for the “restoration” of the Agreement, or are they asking for the abbrogation of the same, by withdrawing from it?
Linyungandambo @ 4. I don’t think you can regard as peaceful the threat that non-Lozi’s should leave Western Province by January 14th 2011 – or have you got blinkers on your eyes?
The ZEC asks the “activists” to be tolerant of opposing opinions??? Maybe they are thinking of the wrong party. It is a little late not to use live ammo now, isnt it?