THE £78 MILLION ZAMBIA GOT FROM BAROTSELAND STILL PAINS BRE AND ROYAL TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP – SENIOR BRE INDUNA BREAKS SILENCE, WARNS AGAINST POLITICAL MANUPULATION
THE £78 MILLION ZAMBIA GOT FROM BAROTSELAND STILL PAINS BRE AND ROYAL TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP – SENIOR BRE INDUNA BREAKS SILENCE, WARNS AGAINST POLITICAL MANUPULATION
Please watch the video and find an interpreter: ..He says “Zambia Politicians have destroyed everything. No one sings Barotseland national anthem….
By Barotseland Watchdog Culture Reporter
A powerful message echoed through the gathering as Senior Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) Induna and Special Aide to the Litunga, Induna Mutwaleti Mubita Sibale, delivered an emotional address, warning newly installed traditional leaders to guard the dignity and independence of the Barotse Royal Establishment and never allow politicians to use it as a political tool.
Speaking on behalf of the Litunga during the installation of five senior BRE Indunas, Sibale reflected on what he described as the long-standing historical grievances of the Barotse people.
He said memories of the £78 million, which Zambia Politicians illegally got from Barotseland, remain a painful chapter that has never healed.
“The £78 million that these politicians got from Barotseland still pains us. The wound has never healed. Even if you see us smiling today, the pain is still fresh and there,” most Senior Induna Sibale declared.
His remarks drew attention to what he described as the continued exploitation of Barotseland’s wealth.
He said that valuable timber leaves Barotseland every day for export (China) while many in Barotseland remain trapped in poverty despite the region’s abundant natural resources.
Sibale reminded the newly appointed Indunas that the BRE is a sacred traditional institution whose loyalty belongs to the Litunga and the people of Barotseland, not to political parties.
“Work with every government because government is there to serve the people, but never allow yourselves to be used by politicians. When the BRE needs assistance, ask the government. Do not surrender your independence,” he advised.
He also expressed concern that the history and identity of Barotseland are gradually disappearing.
According to Sibale, children are no longer taught or sing “Bulozi Fasi la Bondata Luna,” which he described as the Barotseland national anthem, saying this reflects the erosion of the region’s cultural heritage.
Sibale further alleged that politicians have played a role in sidelining and hiding the Barotseland Agreement of 1964, arguing that generations have grown up without understanding its significance.
Without mentioning names in detail, he criticised what he described as the increasing politicisation of the BRE.
Recently Ngambela Mukela Manyando issued a statement in the name of the royal establishment and the Litunga which has caused divisions among BRE.
He urged every Induna to remember that their responsibility is to protect the people, preserve Barotseland’s traditions and culture, and remain above partisan politics.
Closing his address, Sibale delivered a message that resonated throughout the ceremony.
“No Induna is a politician. Never allow politicians to use you. Politics has destroyed many things in Barotseland. Your duty is to protect the people, protect our culture and protect the dignity of the BRE.”
Here we go again!
I am often amazed about black people. When it is a white man doing them harm, no complaint. But when it is a fellow black person, they are up in arms. There is a serious inferiority complex. In 1890, under the Lochner Concession, the Litunga accepted to be paid a stipend of £2,000 per year by the British South Africa Company, for mineral rights that the Litunga had no power over. In today’s money, this is equivalent to £333,000 pounds. The Litunga signed off on land that belonged to the Lamba, Kaonde and the Lenjes. There is not a single gram of copper that was ever mined in Barotseland. The BRE took this money until 1963 for 73 years. During that time, the BRE was able to send princes and princesses for education in expensive private schools in Europe and the USA. Altogether, in present day money, the Litunga would have received more than £20 million. What did the BRE do with that money with respect to developing Barotseland and improving the lives of the Lozi people? Noto!
Bear in mind that this was money that was supposed to go to the owners of the minerals on the Copperbelt!
The Zambian government provided security, education and health facilities to the people. Many Lozi children benefited from education on the shoulders of the Zambian taxpayer.
Now the man is moaning about a miserly $68 million?
