Maravi

Ex-Barotse detainee Mututwa, 92 dies

Ex-Barotse detainee Mututwa, 92 dies
By Mwala Kalaluka in Senanga
Mon 11 July 2011, 12:00 CAT

THE 92-year-old former Ngambela of Barotseland Maxwell Mututwa, who was early this year arrested and charged with treason by the government over the Barotseland Agreement-related Mongu riots has died.

And Barotse Freedom Movement/Linyungandambo says it was not right for any sensible human being to do what they did to Mututwa on allegations that he wanted to secede Western Province from the rest of Zambia unlawfully. Senanga businessman Charles Mututwa confirmed the death of the former Ngambela in an interview with The Post at Silele village in Senanga yesterday.

Mututwa said his uncle passed away around 22:00 hours on Saturday night after he retired to bed.

He said his uncle had been alright the whole day and even took time to listen to the evening news on television but that as soon as he retired to bed he started complaining that he was not feeling well and he passed on a short while later.

Other family members suspect that he could have died of high blood pressure.
Mututwa’s body was taken to Senanga District Hospital the same night where he was certified dead.

Mututwa, was in January this year arrested together with other 20 Lozis and taken to Lusaka Central Prison where they were charged with treason over issues surrounding the Barotseland Agreement.

He was released from Lusaka Central Prison when the State entered a nolle prosequi against him but he had already spent over a month in detention, part of which he spent at the University Teaching Hospital UTH receiving medical attention.

Following his release from detention in Lusaka, Mututwa asked President Rupiah Banda’s government to explain why it arrested him when all he was doing was to try and present the people's wishes over the Barotseland Agreement to the government.

The late Mututwa had earlier also expressed sorrow over the death of another 70-year-old Lozi treason accused, Mwiya Sihope, who died in Lewanika General Hospital from a medical problem that started whilst he was in detention in Lusaka.

Mututwa had also expressed sadness at the death of 16-year-old Barotse riot accused Kabayo Kabayo who died in detention in Mumbwa Prison and asked the government to release all those arrested and convicted over the Barotseland Agreement if dialogue had to take place.

In several interviews with The Post, Mututwa had asked President Banda’s government to ensure that dialogue over the Barotseland Agreement issue take places before the country goes to general elections.

He also said there was need to include the Barotse activists in the dialogue process.

And Barotse Freedom Movement/Linyungandambo national secretary Mulasikwanda Chazele said in an interview from Mongu yesterday that the organisation was mourning Mututwa.

However, Chazele said it was against international human rights for the government to have had arrested and charged an old man like Mututwa over the Barotseland Agreement.

“We are just organising transport to travel to Senanga,” Chazele said.
“We are very sorry over what has happened to the old man. As BFM/Linyungandambo it is something that we did not expect at a time like this when we are fighting for the freedom of Barotseland, not Western Province.”

Chazele said unless otherwise, Mututwa had not been acquitted over the Barotse treason charge but that he was merely released through a nolle prosequi.

A nolle prosequi is not an acquittal or a discharge but one could be re-arrested over the same charge if the police gather fresh evidence against them.

“We also know that he was not acquitted but he was discharged on a nolle prosequi,” Chazele said.

“If we go to international human rights it was not right but then according to the manipulations of the Zambian government and the Human Rights Commission, to them it is right.

It was against human rights to do that to him. It was not right for anybody who is sensible enough to do that to such an old man.”

Chazele agreed that Mututwa before his death emphasised that dialogue over the Barotseland Agreement issue should take place before the elections.

He said the position of BFM/Linyungandambo was that the people of Barotseland have for a long time now been desirous of dialoguing over the Barotseland Agreement since its abrogation by the Zambian government.

“So its not us now who are supposed to push for this dialogue,” said Chazele.
Several people have gathered at Silele village in Senanga for Mututwa's funeral.
Mututwa is survived by a wife, Florence, several children and grandchildren.

Labels: BAROTSE FREEDOM MOVEMENT

posted by MrK @ 6:15 PM