HH MUST FOLLOW WHAT HE AGREED WITH KK IN 2012 ON BAROTSELAND AGREEMENT
...We know why KK signed it and why he violated it
“AT no point was there Northern Rhodesia and Barotseland or Zambia and Barotseland: from 1911 to 1969, the special status of the Litunga was within one sovereign state. This is the most important fact for everyone to know and take note”
1. Introduction
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema (HH) must know that as long as we have “Bulozi” or “Barotse” to refer to “Lozi people” living in some area in Zambia, we shall always have “Barotseland.” This name is more to do with this ethnic group of people and their land.
In other words, there is Barotseland just like we talk of Nsenga, Tonga, Soli, Bemba, Bisa, Lunda, Lenje, Chewa, Lamba, Ngoni, Kaonde or Tumbuka land. There is nothing anyone can do to change or delete these ethnic groups in Zambia.
To start with, ethnic groups anywhere are the most important aspects of what constitutes a nation. Scottish have Scotland, Jews have Israel, English have England, Sweden is for Swedes, China is for Chinese, Portuguese have Portugal, Arabians have Saudi Arabia, Italy is for Italians, France for French, Germany for Germans, Swanas have Botswana, Greeks have Greece, Poland is for Polish, Romans have Rome, Norway is for Nords, etc.
These examples are what constitute the original definition of “classical nations.” It is a homogeneous group of people bigger than a community with distinct ethnic identities such as common heritage, language, religious cultures and are willing to continue living together.
Hence, Zambia is not supposed to be a nation. The name comes from a river, (Zambezi River) in what was called Barotseland and now Western Province. Therefore, originally “Zambians” are supposed to be living creatures of the Zambezi River and not us the people. This is because there is zero connection between the name of the country and any group of people anywhere within the territory.
2. Did the British South African (BSA) Company of Cecil Rhodes conquer modern Zambia as one territory?
The answer is no. The BSA Company took over two separate states at different times and in different fashions in this country we now call Zambia.
In Barotseland, the BSA Company was voluntarily invited by the Litunga, King Lewanika Lubosi himself in 1890 to take over his entire territory for commercial interests and imperial purposes in exchange with military protection, financial and material annual support.
There was no amount of bloodshed or death in the BSA Company takeover of this Lozi kingdom called Barotseland. It was based on friendly negotiations, dining and smiles. After securing this “state,” the BSA Company called this territory Barotseland North Western Zambezi.
Thereafter, the BSA Company eyed for North East of Zambezi River for mineral explorations and heavy mining activities since the firm was already in Southern Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
Here, they faced opposition from the Ngoni people (not Chewa, Senga, Tumbuka, Kunda, Bemba, or Bisa people) as all these groups were peaceful and didn’t have an organised standing army like the Ngoni king. Mpezeni’s Ngoni kingdom was renowned, fearful and powerful for everyone as bloody warriors.
After refusing to surrender voluntarily and peacefully their land to the imperial company, a plus or minus 10, 000 army of Ngoni warriors led by Crown Prince Nsingo Jere, son of King Mpezeni waged a bloody war from December, 1897 to February 1898 against these European invaders.
On February 4, 1898, Nsingo Jere was captured: on February 5, 1898, he together with his two wives were openly executed by the BSA army using a firing squad in modern Chipata. The few surviving Ngoni warriors and people were so broken, terrified and forced to surrender to Cecil Rhodes imperial army.
So, old and mourning King Mpezeni I, Tuto Jere surrendered and submitted to the BSA Company in 1898 and North Eastern Zambezi was taken over too by these British imperialists. The whole now Zambia was completely in Cecil Rhodes’s hands.
3. So, when did Barotseland North Western Zambezi of Litunga merge with North Eastern Zambezi of Mpezeni?
The BSA Company decided to merge the two originally separate territories of North Eastern Zambezi with headquarters in Fort Jameson (modern Chipata) and Barotseland North Western Zambezi with headquarters in modern Mongu in 1911.
Thus, before 1911, the two ‘British protectorates’ under Cecil Rhodes’s business administration were administered as separate units. By merging them, the company was trying to reduce management costs since the two territories were now under one company, the BSA Company and under one business leader, Cecil Rhodes.
In fact, it was in 1911 that these two territories were merged and named “Northern Rhodesia.” In 1924 at the point of being handed over to the British government, the BSA Company left and handed over one entity - Northern Rhodesia.
Between 1924 and 1964 at independence, there was only Northern Rhodesia. In the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, it went in as one and came out as one (from 1953 to 1963). And it got its independence as one sovereign state on October 24, 1964 as Zambia and killed its old name, Northern Rhodesia.
At no point was there Northern Rhodesia and Barotseland or Zambia and Barotseland. The special status of Barotseland was within and under Northern Rhodesia during colonisation and within and under Zambia after independence. This is the most important fact for everyone to know and take note.
4. Why was Kenneth Kaunda made to sign The Barotseland Agreement in 1964 with The Lozi Litunga before Independence?
Before Northern Rhodesia could be given independence, the British government realised that this colony was a “federal state” consisting of originally two separate territories that had separate imperial and colonial agreements with the BSA Company and then its successor the British government itself.
From the word go, Barotseland had special treaties and royal treatments with the British government and monarch. Both the British monarch and the King of the Lozi people wanted this arrangement and treatment to continue after independence under Zambia.
Although the Ngoni king was in attendance during these independence negotiations, Mpezeni did not push for any treaty or agreement with the British monarch and government for whatever reasons. But the Litunga did insist and secured his special status.
So, five months before October 24, 1964, as part of the independence constitutional arrangements for Northern Rhodesia, in May 1964 in London, Kenneth David Kaunda, then Prime Minister at the head of the Self Government of Northern Rhodesia signed the Barotseland Agreement with the Litunga of the Lozi people, Sir Mwanawina Lewanika III.
The Barotseland Agreement of 1964 recognised the Litunga of Barotseland (Bulozi) as the principal local authority for the government and administration of Barotseland, with powers to make laws of Barotseland in respect to matters such as land, natural resources and taxation under the national framework of one sovereign territory called Zambia.
The Barotseland Agreement of 1964 did not promise the creation of a separate state: it only created a local governance system where the Litunga had semi-autonomous political and economic powers within his territory.
By signing this agreement, Kaunda agreed that Zambia was to run as a “loose federal system” where Barotseland will use its traditional political system to run their local authorities under the supervision of the central government in Lusaka.
In other words, after signing the Barotseland Agreement, Dr Kaunda confirmed that the new state called Zambia shall have two local government systems: one for Barotseland under the Litunga with his traditional institutions in Mongu and the other under central government for the rest of the country within the Ministry of Local Government in Lusaka.