🇿🇲 BRIEFING | M’membe’s Barotseland Promise Sparks Online Storm
Socialist Party presidential candidate Dr. Fred M’membe has triggered sharp debate across social media after promising to restore the historical name “Barotseland” to Western Province if elected President.
Speaking during a visit to Limulunga Palace, Dr. M’membe told Ngambela Mukela Manyando that he would sign a Statutory Instrument on his first day in office to replace the name Western Province with Barotseland.
“If that continues to be your wish, it will be done the very day I am sworn in. We shall remove Western Province and replace it with the original name, Barotseland,” M’membe said.
The remarks immediately ignited online reactions, with critics questioning why a presidential candidate polling in single digits is making constitutional and historical commitments that successive governments have approached with caution for decades.
Others argued that the proposal risks reopening one of Zambia’s most sensitive national conversations: the legacy of the 1964 Barotseland Agreement and the relationship between the Barotse Royal Establishment and the Zambian State.
Supporters viewed the pledge as recognition of Western Province’s historical identity. Critics, however, described it as election-season symbolism designed to attract attention in a province where M’membe has struggled to build significant political support.
The backlash also reflects a broader challenge facing the Socialist Party leader. Despite being one of Zambia’s most educated politicians — a lawyer, journalist and economist — many voters continue to question why his campaign often gravitates toward highly emotive constitutional and historical issues rather than presenting a detailed economic programme capable of challenging the ruling UPND.
For some observers, the announcement sounded less like a governing priority and more like a political headline.
The larger question now is whether the promise was aimed at solving a practical governance issue or generating momentum for a campaign that has so far struggled to convert intellectual influence into electoral traction.
As the election campaign intensifies, one thing is clear: M’membe’s Barotseland remarks have succeeded in getting people talking. Whether they have won him votes is another matter entirely.
—For story tips, opinion submissions, advertising, partnerships, or corrections:
📩 editor.peoplesbrief@gmail.com
Strong journalism depends on informed readers, trusted partners, and community support.
© The People’s Brief | Goran Handya
Verified. Contextual. Independent.
At the same time, restore Mankoya from Kaoma, Balovale from Zambezi and while you are at it Dr M’membe restore Chipata to Ngoniland under king Mphezeni. How far back shall we go? Luapula Province, back to Lunda kingdom. Northern Province, back to Lubemba. Reabsorb Northwestern Province into Barotseland and rename the Copperbelt Province to Western Province.
Dr M’membe sir, here is advice from the wisest President Africa ever had, Mwalimu Kambarage Julius Nyerere- ‘Let us leave the colonial boundaries as they were at independence. Changing them will bring confusion in Africa.’ No part of any African country belongs to a particular tribe. Barotseland is part of Zambia and any Zambian should be free to go and live there without feeling like they are in a different country.
Thankfully, you will NEVER be President of Zambia.
Very well said. The desperation to power is appalling. Is Zambia really short of true leaders. This tax evader sure making noise towards plot 1. Whatever would be happening in the presidential jet up there, only God knows.
Indeed and thankfully, this hater will NEVER be President of Zambia.
Definitely all changed names m’membe will have to rewind. Going back on time. Then it means he will have signed opening of a can of stinking old worms and ignited tribalism officially; WHO WANTS THAT for the sake of m’membe going into State House?
This a foolish idea from a degenerated brain. Fortunately, he will never be and he knows it. It can’t worry me though.
