On 18 January 2011, the Zambia Police arrested a journalist working for Radio Lyambai, a private station in the Western Province based on allegations that he had aired a programme on 14 January 2011, which incited violence. Nyambe Muyumbana, an Assistant Station Manager, is currently detained at Mongu Central Police, but has not been charged yet. Western Province Police Commanding Officer, Peacewell Mweemba confirmed the development in an interview with MISA Zambia officers who are in Mongu. However, he did not disclose the charge the journalist would face because police were still investigating the matter.
On 14 January, Police forced their way into Radio Lyambai, and confiscated broadcast equipment which included, computers and a radio console, resulting in the station going off air. Police alleged that the station was broadcasting seditious material on the morning of a planned meeting that day in Limulunga, within the precincts of Mongu, which was deemed illegal by the government.
The meeting which was called by people advocating the restoration of the Barotseland Agreement of 1964, ended in a violent riot where police say two people died, several were wounded and both private and government property was extensively damaged or destroyed.
The Barotseland Agreement, which was signed by then Prime Minister Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, the Litunga (King) of Barotseland, Sir. Mwanawina Lewanika, and British Secretary for Commonwealth Relations, Duncan Sandys, gave birth to the independent Republic of Zambia in October 1964, upon the unification of Northern Rhodesia and the Barotseland Protectorate, both of which were previously under separate British rule.
The agreement gave the Litunga a degree of autonomy to administer the region within the confines of the constitution of the independent Republic of Zambia. However, Kaundas government reneged on the agreement in 1969, through a constitutional amendment. Subsequently, any discussion of the restoration of the agreement was silenced.
However, in recent years, there have been growing calls by various individuals and groups originating from Western Province, for the restoration of the agreement. Most recently, representatives of the Litungas traditional authority, the Barotse Royal Establishment, made written submissions to the National Constitution Commission (NCC) for the recognition of the agreement in the proposed constitution, however, the submission was rejected by the majority of NCC delegates.
Since then, advocates for the restoration of the Barotseland Agreement have become more militant, forcing police to use force to quell meetings called by the activists to discuss the restoration of the Barotseland Agreement. The riots of 14th January 2011 were the most violent.
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