Maravi

ADD wants pro-MMD BRE indunas flushed out

ADD wants pro-MMD BRE indunas flushed out
By Mwala Kalaluka in Limulunga
Fri 02 Sep. 2011, 14:00 CAT

ADD says the Barotse Royal Establishment should flush out indunas who are MMD cadres so that the people's fight for the Barotseland Agreement is not hindered.

During a public rally addressed by Alliance for Development and Democracy ADD president Charles Milupi in Limulunga Royal Village on Tuesday, the party's provincial chairman Mumbisho Mulele said he agreed with assertions that the BRE in Mongu was a branch of the MMD.

Mulele said during the campaign rally which started with the singing of the Barotse 'national anthem' and not the Zambian one, that it was shameful to see BRE indunas and members of the royal family cavorting with those that had gravely offended the people of Barotseland.

"If all of us loved ourselves like God loves us, there would be no single person in Luena or Limulunga or indeed Western Province in its entirety who would welcome President Rupiah Banda," Mulele said.

"If we respected ourselves we would not do that, but because we are people that love insulting ourselves and putting filthy on our bodies, some of us even walk proudly thinking that we are in Banda's armpit."

Mulele said it was painful to recount January's Barotseland Agreement-related events in Mongu and Limulunga.

"Banda comes here to kill and for the first time gunshots were heard here in Limulunga. Our children cried and fell and there was blood all over after the bullets from Banda's barrel were fired," he said.

"Today, an entire induna who was taken through the rituals at the palace and knows that the Litunga signed the Barotseland Agreement can leave the flag of Barotseland and carry around Banda's flag. Remove them, we want to move forward."

He said it was shocking that after the gunshots that caused children to run away while others died and were buried, an induna from the BRE's Saa-Sikalo court could stand as an MMD councillor.

"I agree with those who are saying that the Saa-Sikalo is now a branch of the MMD. My colleagues, let us tell these people that they can't put on two different jackets at the same time," he said. "The blanket that an induna is covered in when being installed and the MMD chitenge can't be worn at the same time. When you are an induna, you can't be a constituency chairman for MMD and you can't be a councillor under MMD."

Mulele said being an induna implied that the lines had been drawn and that an induna only worked for the interest of Barotseland.

"We are being told by the same councillor, who is in Saa-Sikalo, that 'wait my children the Barotseland Agreement issue is still being discussed, we will inform you.' When will he inform you when he is a councillor working for the MMD?" he asked. "Let us demand that those indunas who are known to be MMD should be kicked out from there so that people that are going to fight for Barotseland can take over."

He appealed to the BRE's induna Inete, who presides over the traditional court, to give the people an opportunity to work by removing MMD cadres from the court so that they go and work for their party.

"If we remove those indunas working with the MMD, which is fighting Barotseland, it would be better even if there was a vacancy in that court," he said.

ADD leader Milupi said time for jokes was over.
Milupi said it was surprising that people like Luena MMD parliamentary candidate Mwangala Maopu could support a person like President Banda who sent police officers to shoot and kill people over the Barotseland Agreement early in the year.

He asked where Maopu and some then parliamentarians from the province like Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa were when the people were burying Kalyangu Kangombe, who was shot and killed at Mongu BP Filling Station and Mulope, the shepherd from Nalikwanda who was killed in Malengwa.

Milupi said the many Lozis that were detained in Mumbwa over the Mongu riots did not have legal representation and several people from the province contributed towards their legal fees and feeding requirements.

He said when former Zambia Defence Forces commander General Malimba Masheke led other Lozis in writing to President Banda over the plight of the Barotse detainees, the person who attacked him was Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane.

"Today, Musokotwane wants to be voted as member of parliament in Liuwa!" he said.

Milupi said the people of Western Province should learn to be angry over certain things and react when they are slapped on the cheek.

ADD Luena parliamentary candidate, Gertrude Imenda said successive governments had ignored the people of Western Province; hence the high poverty levels.
Imenda asked the electorate to help her fit in Milupi's leadership shoes.

Labels: ADD, BAROTSE ROYAL ESTABLISHMENT, CHARLES MILUPI, MMD

posted by MrK @ 2:20 PM