BAROTSE AGREEMENT TALKS TO START

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has been commended for providing a conducive environment that has enabled the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) to work through the process of pre-dialogue consultation over the matter regarding the Barotse Agreement of 1964.

BRE Ngambela Nyambe Mwenda has disclosed that BRE has concluded its pre-dialogue consultation process in respect of the pending negotiations with the government over the matter.

Ngambela Mwenda said the pre-dialogue consultation commenced in July 2016 following a meeting between President Edgar Changwa Lungu and a delegation of Barotse Royal Establishment which he led.

He said it was agreed in principle that negotiations be deferred to the period after the 2016 tripartite elections, upon which the process should be taken to its full course.

“We want to extend our gratitude to the President and his administration for providing a conducive environment that has enabled the BRE to work through the process of pre-dialogue consultation and the President’s undertaking to engage into direct negotiations when the Barotse Royal Establishment is ready.

I wish to inform the people of Barotseland in particular and the Zambian citizens in general that the Barotse the Royal Establishment (BRE) has concluded its pre-dialogue consultation process in respect of the pending negotiations with the government of the Republic of Zambia over the matter of the Barotseland Agreement 1964, and that the BRE is ready for dialogue,” he said.

The traditional leaders said during the intervening period the BRE had muted and concretized a process for the formation of a Dialogue Council, to be comprised of representatives of communities, Barotse political activists, the institutions of traditional governance structures and specific nominees of the BRE, whose task would be to aid the BRE in managing the negotiation with the Government of Zambia.

He said composition of the Dialogue Council would be unveiled after a meeting of district chiefs and their Kutas, to be convened in the due course.