BRE UTTERANCES TREASONOUS – NKOYAS

The Nkoya Royal Establishment (NRE) has vehemently refused to be dragged in the Barotseland issue, charging that it is a non-issue.

According to the Nkoya Royal Establishment, the Barotse Royal Establishment utterances border on treason, charging that one ethnic group could not capture a country of more than 70 tribes.

Speaking in Lusaka, Nkoya Establishment Prime Minister NtandaNgwelela said the Nkoyas would not be part and parcel of the Lozi people of Western Province in their push for secession discourse aimed at dividing the country.

He said the Lozi group could not champion a course that excludes other tribes in the province and claimed that BRE was speaking on behalf of all the people of Western Province.

“The Nkoya people still stand by the Nkoya Indaba resolution that Zambia is a Unitary and Western Province is part of Zambia,” Mr. Ngwelela said.

He said the Government must walk the talk on the Barotseland matter within the confines of the law by ensuring that stakeholders, mainly the Nkoya Royal Establishment, must be called and be heard.

“Then let us have Kafue Province if the Government is capitulating to ill-advice from some BRE loyalists. If not, the Government must show leadership. Let us dialogue: State, BRE, NRE and other stakeholders such as the Mbunda people whose ceremony has been stopped,” he said.

He said the BRE must be treated like any other royal establishment in Zambia and above all, call for dialogue that was inclusive of the affected royal establishment, the Nkoya Royal Establishment.

“The Government needs help from liberated Lozis, non Lozis, Zambians of goodwill to advise that breaking the law is an offence and appeasing law breakers is an offence,” he warned.

He said Barotseland’s quest for self- determination and self- rule has built a political wall between the BRE and the United Party for National Development(UPND).