Maravi

Harrington calls for open discussions on Barotse

Harrington calls for open discussions on Barotse
By Edwin Mbulo
Tue 11 Jan. 2011, 04:00 CAT

THE government should allow the people in Western Province to freely and openly express themselves, says William Harrington.

Harrington, the former communications and transport minister, said any closed door discussions excluding the activists, the aggrieved party, would achieve little results over the Barotseland Agreement of 1964.

“The government should allow the people to exercise their traditional and democratic rights to consult each other on a matter that affects their status and future of their country. That is what is important,” Harrington said in an interview on Friday.

“The government should demonstrate further goodwill by allowing the Barotse people to freely and openly express themselves in the Limulunga meeting planned for 14th January as opposed to applying tactics that may be perceived to be oppressive in nature.”

Harrington said the security wings should request for reinforcement if they anticipated violence in the planned Limulunga meeting.

“Additional security reinforcements can be deployed in the same manner as when President Rupiah Banda was in the district to open the MMD provincial conference recently,” he said.

Harrington said Vice-President George Kunda should be commended for initiating dialogue with the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) over the Barotseland Agreement of 1964.

Last week, Harrington appealed to Vice-President Kunda to seriously reflect on the terms and provisions of the Barotseland Agreement 1964 for inclusion in the new constitution.

In an open letter to Vice-President Kunda, Harrington stated that he was writing ahead of the preparation to present the Constitutional Bill to Parliament early next year.

On Wednesday, Vice-President Kunda held a close to five hours closed-door meeting at the Limulunga Royal Village with the Barotse traditional leadership in the Litunga’s palace over tense issues arising from the Barotseland Agreement of 1964.

Meanwhile, Induna Akashi of Mutata village in Mongu said it was wrong for people to spread rumours that those calling for the restoration of the Barotseland Agreement wanted secession.

“It is not good; the MMD cadres are sending threatening letters of violence in Mongu especially to the Barotseland Freedom Movement. The MMD carders are threatening to burn the Limulunga The Litunga’s palace and some villages if the 14th meeting went ahead. They are saying blood will flow,” Induna Akashi said.

“Seceding is not what we want. We just want to give correct information to the people.”

Induna Akashi said the MMD should not take the people for granted as they had the ability to react.

“They should just be worried of their political problems and not the Barotseland Agreement,” Induna Akashi said.

A letter dated December 27, 2010 to police officer-in-charge in Mongu by concerned citizens notified the police of the intentions to hold a peaceful public meeting at Limulunga Royal Village on January 14 at 10:00 hours.

“The aim and purpose of the meeting is to enable the people of Barotseland give full expressions to their feelings regarding the status quo of Barotseland after the nullification of the Barosteland Agreement 1964,” the letter stated.

But Vice-President Kunda and home affairs minister Mkhondo Lungu called for the cancellation of the meeting saying those calling for cessation would be charged with treason.

A former Ngambela during the reign of the late Litunga Ilute Yeta IV, Maxwell Mututwa, said in an interview from Mongu on Thursday that the Barotse activists could not talk to the government over the agreement without getting the people’s views on it.

Labels: BAROTSELAND AGREEMENT, WILLIAM HARRINGTON

posted by MrK @ 2:16 PM