BAROTSELAND INDEPENDENCE WAS VOTED AGAINST BY LOZIs THEMSELVES in 1962/63 REFERENDUM, during the reign of Litunga Sir MWANAWINA LEWANIKA.
There was a REFERENDUM on this matter, in 1963, in BAROTSELAND itself asking the people of BAROTSELAND:
Whether they wished to SECEDE, and LEAVE NORTHERN RHODESIA and be a SEPARATE COUNTRY.
It was NEVER the OTHER WAY ROUND.
The question, in that 1963 REFERENDUM was:
whether the BAROTSELAND NATION wanted to SEPARATE from NORTHERN RHODESIA, which was to soon become ZAMBIA, and NOT if they WANTED to JOIN NORTHERN RHODESIA, was soon to become ZAMBIA.
BAROTSELAND was ALREADY PART of NORTHERN RHODESIA.
The PLEBISCITE, or the result of the said 1963 BAROTSELAND REFERENDUM was:
an OVERWHELMING “NO”,
meaning that, the PEOPLE of BAROTSELAND DID NOT WANT to SEPARATE from NORTHERN RHODESIA, but wanted to PROCEED TOGETHER with the REST of NORTHERN RHODESIA, to INDEPENDENCE, as ONE ZAMBIA ONE NATION, on 24th OCTOBER 1964.
For that PLEBISCITE or Results of the REFERENDUM, BAROTSELAND was organized into 65 VOTING DISTRICTS.
In the PLEBISCITE, 62 DISTRICTS voted
“No” to SEPARATION.
Only 3 DISTRICTS voted in FAVOUR of SEPARATION.
The “Yes” VOTE, in FAVOUR of SEPARATION, was led by the BAROTSELAND NATIONAL FRONT, led by Mr. MUFAYA MUMBUNA,
whilst the “NO” VOTE, AGAINST SEPARATION, was led by the Mulena Mukwae, Princess NAKATINDI NGANGA, the older sister to Litunga GODWIN MBIKUSITA LEWANIKA and mother of Princess NAKATINDI WINA.
At the time, in 1963, the Litunga was Sir MWANAWINA LEWANIKA.
The MATTER was PUT to REST by the POPULAR WILL of the PEOPLE of BAROTSELAND, THEMSELVES, who in 1963 VOTED AGAINST SEPARATION from NORTHERN RHODESIA and/or ZAMBIA.
This is an excerpt from a paper by UNZA researcher, NYAMBE G. SUMBWA showing:
(1) that UNIP had overwhelming support in BAROTSELAND during the struggle and
(2) that the issue in 1963 was about BAROTSELAND TRYING to BREAK AWAY from NORTHERN RHODESIA,
and NOT JOINING in order to form ZAMBIA.
(3) There are other PAPERS on this subject:
“The last of such attempts evolved around the BNP or ‘Sicaba Party’ as it was generally known in the province.
Formation of this party was conceived in the BAROTSE NATIONAL COUNCIL meeting of April 1962. Apart from re-affirming the policy of secession on the (false) grounds that UNIP intended to destroy the ‘Litungaship’, depose the indunas and integrate BAROTSELAND into ZAMBIA, the Council decided upon the formation of a Party whose main concern would be to ‘free Barotseland from UNIP rule and make it not a part of Northern Rhodesia’ (Caplan, 1970: 198). When the party was formed in June, this major aim was reflected in its objectives, which read:
… to protect, defend and preserve the protectorate status of Barotseland … the Barotseland Kingship and to fight for the separation of Barotseland from Northern Rhodesia (Northern News, 18th October, 1962).
The BNP SICHABA PARTY failed to defeat UNIP in two successive elections, however, (2) and thus failed to demonstrate mass support for the secession bid (as planned) to the colonizing power.
This must have been a big blow to the ‘Litunga’ and Council over their secessionist hopes.
And their hopes must have been completely shattered when its President, following BRITAIN’s CONTINUED REJECTION of the SELERATED BAROTSELAND idea, and when a planned alliance with ANC aborted, and dissolved the BNP.
They, therefore, must have seen the BAROTSELAND ‘AGREEMENT’ as the ONLY POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE to their problem.”
So, it should be clear that the BAROTSELAND AGREEMENT had NOTHING to do with BAROTSELAND joining NORTHERN RHODESIA to form ZAMBIA.
Conclusion:
BAROTSELAND is a PROVINCE of ONE ZAMBIA ONE NATION, and can NEVER BREAK AWAY, or SECEDE, from ONE ZAMBIA ONE NATION to form a SEPARATE COUNTRY called BAROTSELAND.
Anonymous