Barotse requires urgent attention-SACCORD The Southern Africa Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) has called upon government to act swiftly and avoid a possible conflict which might erupt over the Barotseland Agreement of 1964. SACCORD information officer Obby Chibuluma said in Lusaka yesterday that the Barotseland Agreement was an emotive issue which needed to be resolved in an amicable manner by the parties concerned. “In seeking a solution to the Barotseland issue, government needs to undertake a serious analysis of the factors that are causing this conflict and devise mechanisms for addressing all the factors rather than seeking to have one solution for all the causes. “If the government fails to detect the real sources of this conflict, it will be difficult to have a sustainable solution to the Barotseland issue. “ While some of the publicly stated concerns of the people in western province may be real and solutions could be easier to arrive at, government through the use of competent and unbiased people must engage in a thorough analysis of the problems in the province and come up with a wide range of options for resolving the conflict,” he said. Mr Chibuluma said SACCORD as an organisation, believes that taking a dismissive position of the Barotseland issue would result in the situation becoming unmanageable. “Every conflict has potential for resolving and the earlier the government engages in it the better. While everyone involved including the government have taken uncompromising positions, there is still room and a lot of it in coming up with a sustainable solution to the problems in Barotseland,” he said. He has since urged the government and the leaders in western province to maintain an open mind regarding possible solutions to the Barotseland issue so as to maintain stability and security in the country. He said instability in any part of Zambia would most likely lead to instability everywhere, thus affecting the economic stability of the country. “It is now the responsibility of every leader in Zambia including the leadership in western province to work towards preventing a potential conflict as a result of unresolved Barotseland issue,” he said. Kasenenga, Nalikwanda petitions thrown out THE Lusaka High Court has upheld the election victories of MMD parliamentary candidates in Kasenengwa and Nalikwanda constituencies on grounds that both Patriotic Front (PF) petitioners failed to provide credible evidence to warrant nullification of poll results. Judge Flavia Chishimba in delivering her judgments yesterday dismissed all allegations levelled against Kasenengwa Member of Parliament (MP) Victoria Kalima and her Nalikwanda counterpart Geoffrey Lungwangwa because the petitioners failed to prove their cases against the duo. PF losing candidates Soul Zulu for Kasenengwa and Maurice Munembo for Nalikwanda constituencies had petitioned the election results of Ms Kalima and Professor Lungwangwa respectively. “On the totality of this petition (Nalikwanda), the petitioner has failed to provide credible evidence as he relied on speculations and I accordingly dismiss it with costs. “Upon analysing the evidence of the petitioner, that of the respondents and that of all the witnesses, I am of the considered view that the petitioner has failed to prove the required standard of proof in the entirety,” She said. Ms Justice Chishimba said Mr Munembo did not confine himself to the pleadings in his petition bundles but instead brought in new accusations which did not assist both the court and the defence. She said all allegations leveled against Prof Lungwangwa ranging from bribery, corruption, distribution of food, intimidation to vote buying were not proved as evidence from both petitioner and witnesses was based on speculation. Prof Lungwangwa said after judgment the independence of the judiciary was clear and hoped the situation would continue to be so. “I am very humbled with the outcome. This petition was just full of a bunch of lies, there was no truth in the evidence by the petitioner, we have been vindicated,” he said. In the Kasenegwa petition, Justice Chishimba dismissed the election petition on grounds that all the seven allegations of malpractices against Ms Kalima had no merit. Mr Zulu had in his petition asked the court to nullify Ms Kalima’s seat alleging that she had engaged in malpractices such as bribery, donating of chitenge materials and distribution of bicycles among others in order to woo voters. Justice Chishimba noted that Mr Zulu failed to prove that the majority of people were prevented from voting for a candidate of their choice. She stated that in the first allegation of dishing out money to the electorates in almost all the wards and to some churches, she found the evidence by petitioners and witnesses unsubstantiated because no person from the church was called to testify. The judge noted that Mr Zulu also failed to prove allegations that that Ms Kalima had told voters that if voted into power, PF would withdraw the distribution of anti retro-viral drugs (ARVS). Ms Kalima said in an interview shortly after declaring her duly elected that she was humbled because had her election been nullified, the number of female MPs in Parliament would have been reduced.

Barotse requires urgent attention-SACCORD

The Southern Africa Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) has called upon government to act swiftly and avoid a possible conflict which might erupt over the Barotseland Agreement of 1964.

SACCORD information officer Obby Chibuluma said in Lusaka yesterday that the Barotseland Agreement was an emotive issue which needed to be resolved in an amicable manner by the parties concerned.

“In seeking a solution to the Barotseland issue, government needs to undertake a serious analysis of the factors that are causing this conflict and devise mechanisms for addressing all the factors rather than seeking to have one solution for all the causes.

“If the government fails to detect the real sources of this conflict, it will be difficult to have a sustainable solution to the Barotseland issue. “

While some of the publicly stated concerns of the people in western province may be real and solutions could be easier to arrive at, government through the use of competent and unbiased people must engage in a thorough analysis of the problems in the province and come up with a wide range of options for resolving the conflict,” he said.

Mr Chibuluma said SACCORD as an organisation, believes that taking a dismissive position of the Barotseland issue would result in the situation becoming unmanageable.

“Every conflict has potential for resolving and the earlier the government engages in it the better. While everyone involved including the government have taken uncompromising positions, there is still room and a lot of it in coming up with a sustainable solution to the problems in Barotseland,” he said.

He has since urged the government and the leaders in western province to maintain an open mind regarding possible solutions to the Barotseland issue so as to maintain stability and security in the country.

He said instability in any part of Zambia would most likely lead to instability everywhere, thus affecting the economic stability of the country.

“It is now the responsibility of every leader in Zambia including the leadership in western province to work towards preventing a potential conflict as a result of unresolved Barotseland issue,” he said.

Kasenenga, Nalikwanda petitions thrown out

THE Lusaka High Court has upheld the election victories of MMD parliamentary candidates in Kasenengwa and Nalikwanda constituencies on grounds that both Patriotic Front (PF) petitioners failed to provide credible evidence to warrant nullification of poll results.

Judge Flavia Chishimba in delivering her judgments yesterday dismissed all allegations levelled against Kasenengwa Member of Parliament (MP) Victoria Kalima and her Nalikwanda counterpart Geoffrey Lungwangwa because the petitioners failed to prove their cases against the duo.

PF losing candidates Soul Zulu for Kasenengwa and Maurice Munembo for Nalikwanda constituencies had petitioned the election results of Ms Kalima and Professor Lungwangwa respectively.

“On the totality of this petition (Nalikwanda), the petitioner has failed to provide credible evidence as he relied on speculations and I accordingly dismiss it with costs.

“Upon analysing the evidence of the petitioner, that of the respondents and that of all the witnesses, I am of the considered view that the petitioner has failed to prove the required standard of proof in the entirety,” She said.

Ms Justice Chishimba said Mr Munembo did not confine himself to the pleadings in his petition bundles but instead brought in new accusations which did not assist both the court and the defence.

She said all allegations leveled against Prof Lungwangwa ranging from bribery, corruption, distribution of food, intimidation to vote buying were not proved as evidence from both petitioner and witnesses was based on speculation.

Prof Lungwangwa said after judgment the independence of the judiciary was clear and hoped the situation would continue to be so.

“I am very humbled with the outcome. This petition was just full of a bunch of lies, there was no truth in the evidence by the petitioner, we have been vindicated,” he said.

In the Kasenegwa petition, Justice Chishimba dismissed the election petition on grounds that all the seven allegations of malpractices against Ms Kalima had no merit.

Mr Zulu had in his petition asked the court to nullify Ms Kalima’s seat alleging that she had engaged in malpractices such as bribery, donating of chitenge materials and distribution of bicycles among others in order to woo voters.

Justice Chishimba noted that Mr Zulu failed to prove that the majority of people were prevented from voting for a candidate of their choice.

She stated that in the first allegation of dishing out money to the electorates in almost all the wards and to some churches, she found the evidence by petitioners and witnesses unsubstantiated because no person from the church was called to testify.

The judge noted that Mr Zulu also failed to prove allegations that that Ms Kalima had told voters that if voted into power, PF would withdraw the distribution of anti retro-viral drugs (ARVS).

Ms Kalima said in an interview shortly after declaring her duly elected that she was humbled because had her election been nullified, the number of female MPs in Parliament would have been reduced.