WILLIAM HARRINGTON CHALLENGES PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANTS TO STATE THERE POSITION ON BAROTSELAND BEFORE SEEKING BAROTSE VOTES
By Zambia Barotseland Border Post
Reporter,
Former Senanga Central Member of Parliament and former Tourism Minister in the MMD government, William Harrington, has challenged all aspiring presidential candidates in the forthcoming August 2026 General Election to clearly state their position on the long-standing Barotseland question before seeking votes from the people of the region.
Speaking in an interview carried by the Zambian Mast Newspaper, Harrington said the electorate in Barotseland deserves honesty and clarity from those seeking the country’s highest office regarding the unresolved issues surrounding the unilateral abrogation of the Barotse Agreement of 1964.
Harrington observed that past experience has shown that many presidential candidates make promises during election campaigns only to abandon them once elected to office.
He said many Barotse nationals have over the years felt betrayed by politicians whom they had trusted, beginning with Zambia’s First Republican President, Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda
According to Harrington, after signing the Barotse Agreement of 1964 with the Litunga, King of Barotseland, Sir Mwanawina III, Kaunda later unilaterally abrogated and “trashed” the agreement. He further noted that the region was subsequently renamed Western Province without consultation with the other party to the agreement.
“It is also important for all presidents seeking votes from the electorate in the area to take time to read, study and understand the Barotse National Council Resolutions of 2012 before making assurances that they may not be able to fulfil,” Harrington said.
He stressed that the Barotseland issue remains highly sensitive and cannot simply be addressed through symbolic gestures or political rhetoric.
“The issue of Barotseland is a sensitive one and cannot simply be resolved by a change of name to Barotseland, as was recently promised by a president of a certain political party to the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE),” he said.
Harrington argued that what is required now, perhaps more than ever before, is a serious, peaceful and sustainable solution to the Barotseland impasse—one that addresses the underlying concerns of the people and promotes national unity through dialogue and mutual respect.
He further warned against the use of force and heavy-handed approaches in dealing with the matter.
“High-handed and oppressive tactics that have been used in the past, when many people were beaten, injured, shot and killed in cold blood, are not a solution to the impasse and must be avoided at all costs,” he said.
As the country heads towards the 2026 General Election, Harrington’s remarks are likely to reignite debate on one of Zambia’s most enduring political and historical questions, with increasing calls for presidential hopefuls to articulate concrete and realistic positions on how they intend to address the Barotseland impasse.
©️ Zambia Barotseland Border post/2026