By Barotseland Broadcasting Network
President Hakainde Hichilema Looses Massive popularity in BArotseland over his reckless statement on BArotseland.
Majority of people of BArotseland, yesterday were shocked and injured to hear a reckless statement coming from the person they trusted and believed to be leader with knowledge of the genesis of this failed unitary state between BArotseland and Northern Rhodesia now called Zambia.
Lozi people were saddened with the statement and majority have vowed never ever to vote for him. In communities, homes , bus stations, WhatsApp groups and working places Majority of the Lozi speaking people hailing from BArotseland expressed sadness and were injured over the statement that will heavily cost president Hakainde Hichilema come 2026 General elections.
Including his party members, MPs, ministers and supporters have disclosed that it’s time to show the Tonga speaking people that time of using and riding on lozis has come to end.
First and foremost, we appeal to all of us who hail from Barotseland to cease fire over the remarks by the head of state.
In life, every circumstance or situation we find ourselves in is for a special purpose which is never foretold.
The Republican President has made it very clear and courageously told the nation that Western Province or Barotseland is not a Country but part and parcel of a unitary state of a Country called Zambia. This is the plain truth without any malice.
The President is well versed with the history of this failed unitary union Country. He is very much aware of the Barotseland Agreement of 1964 and all its contents which were binding on both parties (territories). He knows that the Agreement was abrogated.
The President emphasized the point of unity and interdependence in resource mobilization and equal distribution to Provinces. we presume this is the genesis of the subject at hand.
The questions which begs for serious answers therefore are, did the President use the right channel of communication or the right platform? What necessitated him to come out in that fashion?
In our humble opinion, this may result into a blessing in disguise to us the people of Barotseland or Western Province. He has opened a Pandora Box for himself. He has indirectly called on us to seriously engage him over pertinent matters which have been pending for a long time.
Western Province has been deliberately starved development by successive Governments because of the Barotseland Agreement of 1964.
In BArotseland currently,
1. We don’t have good standard road infrastructure to connect all our 18 districts found in BArotseland.
2. We don’t have Higher learning institutions (Universities and Colleges) just like in other Provinces.
3. We don’t have Modern Government buildings infrastructure such as hospitals, Civic Centers, Sports facilities, modern Local Authorities Markets etc in our districts. Just like in other Provinces.
4. We don’t have any well Established industries and factories by reputable companies.
6. The Zambian government is illegally ruling this beautiful and historic region without any law backing it. If he say his government it’s a government of rule of law , then he is lying and he should stop going to church and worshiping God while you are suppressing others.
5. Western Province’s 128 Chiefdoms are not recognized by law and Area Chiefs in charge of these Chiefdoms are not gazetted and nowhere near Subsidies (salary) and other incentives offered by the Central Government as compared to other Provinces. Recently the New Dawn Government reproduced the 1958 Chiefs’ Boundary Map. The Map serves no purpose to Western Province. Our Area Chiefs who appear on our NRCs have been reduced to a useless and meaningless title under the Zambian Statutes of Silalo Indunas.
As people of Barotseland, it pains to hear the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development including the President himself saying that they are building Chiefs’ Palaces yet they have nothing to point at in Western Province.
The Litunga and 6 others presiding at Naliele in Kaoma, Mwandi in Sesheke, Namayula in Lukulu, Litunga la mbowela, Mboanjikana of Kalabo and Lukama for Shangombo are not really Chiefs themselves. They don’t even have Chiefdoms as per the Zambian scenario. They are classified as Chiefs for the sole purpose of being included on the Zambian Chiefs’ Payroll.
The Barotseland system of Governance is totally different from what the Government and most Zambians think.
Let us calm down and avoid being emotional. This matter is beyond politics.
We submit.
These issues don’t warrant you starting another country and the president isn’t being reckless but rather being frank there are channels that you can you use to lobby for every one issue that you have raised. And the litunga is one of the most respected chiefs with access to every president that has been and will be so I’m sure if the litunga and mps in your area bundled together those things can be ratified. Furthermore CDF is at your disposal push for those things. Lastly if every region that doesn’t feel their needs are not catered for forms their own country do you know how many countries we will have?
Ignorance at display here, how can other regions claim that they want to form their own countries when they never existed b4 1964? The basis of self determination of the Lozi people lies in the abrogation of the Barosteland agreement. The Litunga is not a chief, he is a king, other regions in Zambia have chiefs but Lozi’s have a king. CDF wont stop the desire for self determination, the Barotse people have spoken through various Commission of inquiry ignoring their concern is not solving the problem.
The matter can be resolved, only that people in Zambia are lazy at thinking. How did Tanzania and Zanzibar resolve their grievances? How did England and Ireland resolve theirs? It can be done when brains are tasked not laziness
As long as the president keeps Zambia solid. The idiots saying he has lost support there should hang themselves on Zesco transformers.
In truth, not everyone in Western Province is a Lozi. And not every Lozi is in support of the Linyungandambo’s idea of seceding. What is true is the lack of key infrastructure and backwardness of many districts like Lukulu especially.
Is there any tribe called Lozi, in all honesty? People have failed as Productive humans and clammer to notions that are at best flimsy, so they can acquire some kind of status. All in aid of what? Lozi is a collection of tribes at best…
Don’t include everyone from western province
I am not fir the idea
I am from Mulobezi district
Maybe in Mongu but certainly not in districts such as Kaoma, Kalabo, Lukulu. Like someone has already pointed out not everyone indigene of the so called Barotseland is a Lozi. I believe those spearheading this Barotseland issue are the Makololo who came from Lesotho after running away from Shaka.With the help of Coillard, a missionary who came from Basotuland(now Lesotho) they held sway over the people that they found in the area. I think this time it will not fly.
You don’t have any well established industries and factories by reputable companies because of foolish pride and bad repute which made you discourage investors, both local and “foreign” from setting up camp in your arid land.
There is no basis for this statement. Was a poll done to substantiate that HH has lost popularity? Ba BBN is just throwning around words to garner sympathy.
Why do we waste time dwelling on issues without sustance? Is there no statue of limitation for legal recource?
Losing popularity is not really an issue as long as he puts matters of national interest above self. Zambia is bigger than any one of us including HH and he needs to be firm with such issues. The President was right and he was not reckless in any way, it’s a known fact that there is no nation or country called Barotseland now although it could have been there in the past. The President was more than right because it’s not only Barotseland which doesn’t exist but there are several other countries which don’t exist, for example, as at now, there is no country called Northern Rhodesia, there is no country called Northwestern Rhodesia, Northeastern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia, Nyansaland etc. if you went to South Africa and ask someone to show you the road to Swaziland or Bechuanaland, they will tell you that there are no countries called Swaziland or Bechuanaland, they will tell you that maybe you are talking about Eswatini and Botswana. All these countries and many more could have existed in the past but they don’t exist now. If I send you to book me a flight to Formosa, I don’t know where you can book it from because there no country called Formosa. So the President was right and there was nothing reckless in his utterance.
Dead issue only selfish wannabe insurrectionists want to keep pushing this issue! The peoples of Western province must take issue with their useless selfish representatives that they elect! Western province has through the short history of Zambia had a good crop of brains in successive governments but who have done nothing to uplift the province as others from other regions have. The problem lies within themselves and the traditional governance system which has nothing to do with the national governing systems! The Western province people need to free themselves from the yoke of a few disgruntled selfish people!
Barotse Secessionist remnants constitutes a few disgruntled ancients!
Let’s allow time to pass on them.
It’s the new progressive generation that will undo the retrogressive rigid and vain traditions that have retarded development in the region!
Someone brought investors to explore the area for oil and Natural gas
How were they received?
The traditional establishment stopped everything!
This is the reason Western province remains underdeveloped!
With the enhanced CDF program, most areas including Western province have started catching up with real development.
Not sure what the Selfish motive some people have!
Let the Barotse Secessionists migrate to another planet and leave our unitary Zambian state!
The crafters of the Barotse Agreement are all dead so it’s a non-starter!
Anyone agitating for secession should be treated as a terrorist, arrested and charged with high treason!