THREE church mother bodies have called on the Government to create conditions that would facilitate meaningful reconciliation among the people of Western Province through dialogue.
The Church has also appealed to the Government to immediately make public, the Rodger Chongwe Commission of Inquiry report as a springboard upon which to launch the dialogue.
This is according to a joint statement issued in Lusaka yesterday by the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC), Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) and the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ).
Reading the statement at a media briefing yesterday, EFZ executive secretary, Reverend Pukutu Mwanza, who was flanked by the ZEC secretary general, Father Cleophas Lungu and CCZ general secretary, Suzanne Matale said the nation had vacillated and skirted around?the issue of the Barotseland Agreement for far too long.
“The Barotseland Agreement of 1964 is a historically significant issue whose time has come. It is a problem which will not go away unless the Government engages the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) in serious and sincere dialogue.?”A manifest concerted engagement with the BRE should now be considered a priority governance issue. With political will, a win-win solution is possible,” reads the statement in part.
The Church mother bodies said merely labelling sections of the Western Province as anarchists or secessionists bent on committing treason would not help matters.
Rev Mwanza said such sentiments would only further radicalise certain groups.? He said what was needed now was for the Government to create the necessary conditions for reconciliation.
“In other words, the PF Government should take the lead and handle with great sensitivity and caution, the issues surrounding the Barotseland Agreement of 1964.
“We recognise the duty of the Government to maintain law and order and to protect life and property. This duty should, however, be exercised with due diligence. Good judgement of what State action and statements can result into is extremely necessary,” reads the statement.?
They have since appealed to the activist groups in the Western Province, particularly the Linyungandambo, Barotse Freedom Movement (BFM), Movement for the Restoration of the Barotseland Agreement (MOREBA) to consider giving dialogue a chance.
They said it was their firm belief that the Government should work to persuade the people in Western Province that there was more to be gained in Zambia remaining a unitary State than in fragmentation.
“Notwithstanding the problems surrounding the Barotseland Agreement, the truth of the matter is that we have lived in harmony for nearly 48 years. As we resolve the problems associated with the Barotseland Agreement, we should all bear in mind that we owe it to our children’s future to maintain this harmony at all costs.
“Further, we are convinced that notwithstanding the Barotse National Council (BNC), the door on this issue is not firmly closed,” reads the statement.?Rev Mwanza said church leaders remained committed to facilitate a high level meeting on the matter.
“We have always risen to the occasion at critical periods in the history of this country such as the constitutional impasse which eventually led to multi-party democracy in 1991.
There is no political issue that is too big that it cannot be resolved through dialogue,” the statement says.? They also appealed to Zambians to support initiatives which would lead to unity, peace and reconciliation in the country.
The Church advised that when debating the Barotseland Agreement, people should use a language which would build and not destroy the country.
They commended the people of Western Province for holding the BNC meeting in a transparent and peaceful atmosphere.
“The State security and defence personnel present in Mongu, for a change did not hinder or intimidate the people of Mongu as they went about conducting their business at the BNC in Limulunga,” he said.
[Times of Zambia]
Men of God, Do you really think there is any rational actor with common sense and decorum of initiating a win-win engagement in this circus regime? That is diplomacy of conflict management you are pushing right there sadly absent in the world of cadres.
LOZIS, WE LOVE YOU BRS AND SRS, LET’S TALK AND CONTINUE AS ONE NATION.
No way! Ki nako!
Their shortsightedness is the utopia of believing that they are too strong a regime against common sense, national polarization, massive dissatisfaction, people’s value for a functional democratic order, socio-economic equity and dynamics of generational thought process.
Bravo to the church mother bodies for their timely intervention. Lets resolve this matter once and for all. I hope all stakehorders involved will be level headed as they deliberate this seemingly simple but trick issue.
This is not an era or Generation of hard-power against any critical mass but rational actions through soft-power engagement to avoid fueling a pitch of adverse relationships. Zambia cannot afford internal asymmetric events with propensity of triggering a critical mass of the emboldened and rejuvenated in a sluggish economy of majority unemployed youths against rhetorical geriatrics. Get into counter-balancing acts and learn from have fallen after falling on sledge hummers against the people they hoped they could rally against while asphyxiating dissent. Power belongs to the people and not in those mischievous chains of commands.
Get into counter-balancing acts and learn from have fallen dictators after falling on their sledge hummers against the people they hoped they could easily crash while asphyxiating dissent. World over power belongs to the people and not in those mischievous chains of commands.
The church stand on the current BL64 impassee sholud be commended. Its important to note that Zambia does not have state nationlism as such, but there are mini nationalisms based on ethnic groupings. If one such grouping feels alianated or marginalised, the common result is struggle for autonomy or self determination. Often the state reacts by brutality, insencire offer to negotiate, divide and rule, or appointment of revolting group reps into higher government positions…these are stop gaps and don’t often last long….lets have a genuine settlement to this impasse for the sake of our future generations….
Build a just inclusive nation with equity for all citizens from North-to-South, East-to-West or border to border. Build a professional pubic service not the nonsense of institutionalizing cadreism and a historic level nepotism as a development policy. Zambians will not allow this enduring culture of being left suffocating in dust and swimming in clutters or roads full of potholes with no value to them from their Global demanded resources going at record high prices.
Instead of wasting ZMK300 billion on luxury cars for cadres, invest public funds in programs that will create capacity and opportunities. Beware of disproportionate levels of the unemployed poor youths without capital or economic life line. Those are your spark plugs.
Disagree about building any ‘pubic’ service Senior :)
Well said 3 mothers. Mama knows best :)
What’s with all the ??? LT? Proof reader asleep again :)
BUT IF YOU AGREE TO DISAGREE GOD KNOWS THE ANSWER. IF YOU DISAGREE TO AGREE ITS ALSO INTERESTING.
IS RODGER CHONGWE IS THE MAN WITH TWISTED LOGIC!
the only way of solving the barotse case is by its restoration.there is no modification.the barotse people put up with the zambian shit for a long time.KONAKOOOOOO
most zambians i think are fools
The Post and Sata should have done a better job of vetting the facts before printing the headline which has now come back to split Zambia into two countries. Sata should have consulted ANGOLA, NAIMBIA, and ZIMBABWE before promising the restoration of BA1964. We the rational thinkers on this blogging site(which the PF govt wants destroyed urgently) had said that the PF folks simply did not provide factual information to their supporters in western province and Zambia at large.The police are now failing to arrest Mr Sinyinda because they understand that his actions were caused by the lies of Mr Sata. Before Police arrest anyone on this issue they must ask this cardinal question:Who is really manipulating the facts?
This issue has been going for decades. When you consider that those involved have been in government and yet remained silent until after losing elections, you wonder their motivation. There is no way the Barotseland issue can be settled, without treating them as a special group. Won’t that just create more problems? The Lozis will have to climb down, I am afraid, if peace has to be maintained.
gov is the one causing more confusion than they are solving. the belief that people are safe with little or no information is a false belief perpetuate by those in control. actually the more information people get the fewer the problems they will cause. gov should just release the report so that we start having a open and frank debate.
Why should peace come at the cost to one side? Surely for Zambia to have been created took a compromise and to maintain it will take the same. I don’t think the Lozis are more special than any other tribes BUT they are uniquely involved in the compromise that created Zambia, uniquely affected by an abrogation and thus may feel uniquely dismissed by those who feel Zambia should forget how it was created and silently march on as though nothing happened. Another silent sweep under the carpet is an option and not a solution.
Well stated A Phiri ana bwe 19! Bravo to three church mother bodies that is the fatherly spirit we would like to see all round. The Ngambela is merely a spokesman for the BRE threatening him will not help matters or resolve the problem. When the BRE remained mute over the distabances in Mongu last year choosing to hold discussions directly with Government they were accused of siding with the Government, when they come out to initiate peaceful dialogue by brining all agrieved parties in Barotse they are threatened with Treason, now I understand why Lozis’ are feel marginalised.
The solution is to ask the Lozis to accept that there is a law in place and that Zambia is one country the word of God does not support evil plans as advocated by the few evil men who are at one time enjoyed in Govt.We expect the as Christians the church to be on our knees asking the Lord to intervene.You need to understand that unless the Lord watches over the city the watchman does it in vain.there was s referendum to decide that fate and majority opted one Zambia one nation who are you to oppose that mind you the Lord God Almighty allowed that and we have lived in harmony there after shame in you who are supporting this evil act for selfish reason
There is no law in place and there is no one country. Barotseland is a nation on its own and will make its own laws. Get used to it! What selfish reason do you think is prompting this? Maybe, just maybe, the Lozis are tired of your tribalism and Bemba hegemony. You definitely can have your peace by leaving the Lozis to form their own country.
Only a a leadership with good ledership qualities and a value centered government can initiate dialogue .Sata and PF have no capability to do that. Sata`s way of doing things is way off a civilized society. If you read statements that Sata issued on the Barotse Agreement and what the man is say now, you begin to wonder whether the man is ok in his heard. Nobody should be blaming the lozis for their action. Sata promised to honor the BA1964 once in power. Lozis never asked Sata to honor the BA1964, it is Sata himself. Lozis should not let Sata off the hook. We can allow leaders to use lies to get their way into government.
First arrest one and tourcher that chi LOZI person very much and thats when others will know.wait i become another BEMBA president, i will make sure i deal with all your nonsence.
THREE church mother bodies must not waste our valuable time to dwell on political plot that was hatched and crafted by two so-called tribal cousins – Sata and Rodger Chongwe. Sata planed to gain politically whereas Chongwe as Chairman was destined to gain financially. Sata set up “The Rodger Chongwe Commision of Inquiry to deceive the Lozi voters that the PF Govt was responding favourably on their dream to restore the Barotseland Agreement of 1964. When Sata publicsly decared that he cannot endorse Chongwe’s recommendation to restore the Barotseland Agreement, this was no surprise to Chongwe, because this was, after all, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED by Sata and Chongwe. The two men worked closely during the heat of the Sept-2011 Elections. Hence no cosmetic comments from Churches.
PF govt should indeed immediately make public the Rodger Chongwe Commission of Inquiry report. I thought the era of hiding reports like the gabon disaster, LCC councillors sharing land in lilayi is long gone? And when is the commission of inquiry on enery handing in its report? It has taken too long. So much disorganisation in the PF govt! I pity my country and my people.
give the lozis what they want!