Maravi

BNC's resolution to secede irresponsible - Scott

COMMENT - It is time for serious decentralisation to the local government level.

BNC's resolution to secede irresponsible - Scott
By Ernest Chanda and Bright Mukwasa
Wed 28 Mar. 2012, 15:59 CAT

VICE-PRESIDENT Guy Scott says the Barotse National Council's resolution to secede from Zambia is irresponsible and unacceptable. Giving a ministerial statement in the National Assembly today on the resolutions of the Barotse National Council to have Barotseland seceded from the rest of Zambia, Vice-President Scott said the government had a responsibility to protect people and property. He said there were more Lozis in the rest of Zambia than in Western Province.

"The resolutions announced in Mongu yesterday are irresponsible and unacceptable. Government will not abdicate its responsibility as custodian of the interest of all our people who live in the territorial space called Zambia," he said yesterday.

And asked by Mwandi MMD member of parliament Michael Kaingu if he was aware that the Brotseland Agreement of 1964 united two territories of Northern Rhodesia and Zambia and that in its absence, there would be no relationship between the two, Vice-President Scott said:

"That is the legal situation taken to extremes and twisted. In practice, the Western Province has been part of Zambia and has been governed as part of Zambia since way before 1964."

Asked by Monze UPND member of parliament Jack Mwiimbu if he knew the genesis of the document, Dr Scott said the Brotseland Agreement was a document drawn to give comfort to the Lozi speaking people, and not to advocate for secession.

On Tuesday, the Barotse Royal Establishment's district courts unanimously called for total independence of Barotseland from Zambia in view of the unilateral abrogation of the Barotseland Agreement by Dr Kenneth Kaunda's government.

Submitting their resolutions from the consultative meetings that took place in all the seven district traditional courts over the Barotseland Agreement issue before the Barotse National Council that closed in Limulunga on Tuesday, the representatives said their position on the matter was in unison.

Labels: BAROTSE FREEDOM MOVEMENT, BAROTSELAND AGREEMENT, GUY SCOTT, JACK MWIIMBU, MONGU, UPND

posted by MrK @ 5:43 PM