Barotseland: the secessionist challenge to Zambia

Gerald L. Caplan

doi:10.1017/S0022278X00017456

Barotseland: the secessionist challenge to Zambia

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 November 2008

Gerald L. Caplan

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Few of the new nations of Africa lack, as part of their colonial heritage, their potential Biafras—hence the reluctance of most African states to recognise the secessionist Eastern Region of Nigeria. This article is concerned with one of them, the Barotse Province of Zambia, and attempts to illuminate the historical background of the situation, the motives of the Lozi ruling class in demanding secession, and the methods by which successive colonial and independent governments have met this challenge.

Type: Articles
Information: The Journal of Modern African Studies , Volume 6 , Issue 3 , October 1968 , pp. 343 - 360

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022278X00017456 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1968

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^{Page 343 note 1} See my forthcoming article, ‘Barotseland's Scramble for Protection,’ in The Journal of African History (Cambridge).

^{Page 343 note 2} Reproduced in Baxter, T. W., ‘The Concessions of Northern Rhodesia’, in National Archives of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Occasional Papers (Salisbury), 1 06 1963, p. 8.Google Scholar

^{Page 345 note 1} Eric Stokes, ‘Barotseland: the survival of an African state’, in Stokes, E. and Brown, R. (eds.), The Zambesian Past: studies in Central Afrisan history (Manchester, 1966), p. 296.Google Scholar

^{Page 345 note 2} See my unpublished Ph.D. thesis, ‘A Political History of Barotseland, 1875–1965’ (University of London, 1968), chs. 5 and 6.Google Scholar

^{Page 345 note 3} Report of the Rhodesia and Nyasaland Royal Commission [Bledisloe Report], Cmd. (London, 1939), pp. 168–9, 175–6, 258 and 235–6.Google Scholar

^{Page 346 note 1} Fox-Pitt, , ‘Report on Barotse Province’, Northern Rhodesia Native Affairs Annual Report—hereafter N.R.N.A.A.R. (Lusaka, 1947), p. 71;Google Scholar Frank Worthington to Paramount Chief Imwiko, 27 September 5947, in National Archives of Zambia, KDE 2/43/5; Minutes of the National Council Meeting, 4 and 5 June 1948, in Barotse Province Files, Mongu Boma (hereafter Boma Files), Barotse Native Authorities Conference.

^{Page 346 note 2} Glennie, A. F. B., ‘Reports’, in N.R.N.A.A.R. (1948), pp. 70–1, and (1949), p. 82;Google Scholar also M. E. Berger, who was a missionary in Barotseland for the Protestant Missionary Society, 1934–1949, 1961–1966.

^{Page 346 note 3} See Glennie, , ‘The Barotse System of Government’, in The Journal of African Administration (London), IV, I, 01 1952, p. 13;Google Scholar Glennie, ‘A Note on the Barotse Province and Some Current Questions’, 25 August 1952, Boma Files; see also Gann, L. H., A History of Northern Rhodesia: early days to 1953 (London, 1964), p. 385.Google Scholar

^{Page 346 note 4} Cited in Glennie, ‘A Note on the Barotse Province’.

^{Page 347 note 1} Glennie, ‘Report’, in N.R.N.A.A.R. (1952), p. 86.Google Scholar

^{Page 347 note 2} Hopkinson's speech of 5 August 1952, reported in Northern Rhodesian Information Department Press Communiqué no. 626.

^{Page 347 note 3} Record of Meeting between Secretary of State and Chief and Council, 2 August 1952, in Boma Files, Proposals for Closer Association between Central African Territories Dossier.

^{Page 347 note 4} Rev. J. P. Burger to Director, 29 April 1953, in Paris Missionary Society Sefula Archives.

^{Page 347 note 5} Interview with Mr Walubita.

^{Page 347 note 6} The version of this story given by Mwanawina to Franklin, Harry, Unholy Wedlock: the failure of the Central African Federation (London, 1963), p. 220,Google Scholar is identical almost to the word with that given me by Walubita many years later.

^{Page 347 note 7} Copy of Rennie's address to the Legislative Council, 16 April 1953, in Boma Files, Closer Association Dossier.

^{Page 347 note 8} Cited in notice from Glennie to all Barotse Province District Commissioners, 20 April 1933; ibid.

^{Page 347 note 9} Glennie's ‘Report’, in N.R.N.A.A.R. pp. 93–4.

^{Page 348 note 1} Low, D. A. and Pratt, R. C., Buganda and British Overrule (London, 1960), pp. 1;Google Scholar and A. I. Richards, ‘Epilogue’, in Fallers, L. A., The King's Men (London, 1964), pp. 359–64.Google Scholar

^{Page 348 note 2} Northern News (Lusaka), 18 11 1957;Google Scholar and Clay, Gervase, ‘Report’, in N.R.N.A.A.R. (1958), p. 80.Google Scholar

^{Page 348 note 3} Northern News, 20 May 1958.

^{Page 348 note 4} According to Lifunana Imasiku, who later became personal secretary to the paramount chief and whose father was Ngambela from 1956 to 1962.

^{Page 348 note 5} See, for example, Clay, , ‘Report’, in N.R.N.A.A.R. (1958), pp. 79–80;Google Scholar and M. G. Billing of the Lusaka secretariat, ‘Government Policy in the Utilisation of Indigenous Political Systems’, in Apthorpe, Raymond (ed.), From Tribal Rule to Modern Government (Lusaka, 1959), pp. 1–3 and 11.Google Scholar

^{Page 349 note 1} Hall, Richard, Zambia (London, 1965), p. 238.Google Scholar

^{Page 349 note 2} Under Order no. 8, Meetings, Public, in Barotse Native Government Orders and Rules (Lusaka, 1957), p. 11, English version.Google Scholar

^{Page 349 note 3} Hall, op. cit. p. 240; and Clay, G., Annual Report on the Barotseland Protectorate (1960).Google Scholar

^{Page 349 note 4} Northern News, 3 December 1960.

^{Page 349 note 5} Ibid. 2 December 1960.

^{Page 350 note 1} Northern News, 6 December 1960. Pratt had earlier made the same distinction between Buganda and Barotseland in Low and Pratt, op. cit. pp. 299–300.

^{Page 350 note 2} African Mail (Lusaka), 22 11 1960.Google Scholar

^{Page 350 note 3} Prince Ngombala Lubita, a member of the Lozi royal family and one of B.A.S.M.O.'s original officers.

^{Page 350 note 4} African Mail, 27 December 1960.

^{Page 350 note 5} Ibid. 18 July 1961; Northern News, 22 April 1961; and Heath, , Annual Report (1961).Google Scholar

^{Page 351 note 1} Northern News, 5 and 14 April 1966.

^{Page 351 note 2} Heath, , Annual Report (1961);Google ScholarAfrican Mail, 13 June, 25 July, and 12 September 1961; Northern News, 16 May 1961; and Hastings Noyoo, one of the earliest U.N.I.P. supporters in Barotseland, who later became Ngambela.

^{Page 351 note 3} Sir Welensky, Roy, Welensk's Four Thousand Days (London, 1964), pp. 328 and 322–3.Google Scholar

^{Page 351 note 4} Harry Franklin, op. cit. p. 219.

^{Page 351 note 5} Ibid. pp. 226–22; African Mail, 20 February 1962; and Northern News, 26 February 1962.

^{Page 351 note 6} Central African Mail (formerly African Mail), 6 March 1962.

^{Page 352 note 1} Central African Mail, 27 February, 6 and 27 March 1962.

^{Page 352 note 2} Welensky, op. cit. pp. 360–5.

^{Page 352 note 3} Informant ‘X ‘—a senior British official at the main government centre (Boma) in Mongu, who asked not to be identified.

^{Page 352 note 4} Northern News, 12 May 1962.

^{Page 352 note 5} Copy of letter dated 27 November 1962, from F. L. Suu, Y. Mupatu, and L. Mufunguiwa to the Litunga, 27 November 5962, shown to me by Mupatu. The three men were among the founders of the new party.

^{Page 352 note 6} According to informant ‘X’.

^{Page 352 note 7} Letter of 27 November 1962; and Central African Mail, 23 October 1962.

^{Page 353 note 1} Central African Mail, 29 Jaunary 1963.

^{Page 353 note 2} Rawlins, , Annual Report (1963);Google Scholar and Northern News, 20 February, 16 May, 1 June, 11 July, and 2 August 1963.

^{Page 353 note 3} Northern News, 11 July and 2 August 1963.

^{Page 353 note 4} Interview with Sir Mwanawina.

^{Page 353 note 5} Northern News, 15 August 1962.

^{Page 353 note 6} Ibid. 22 August 1962.

^{Page 353 note 7} Central African Mail, 24 August 1963.

^{Page 354 note 1} Informant ‘X’.

^{Page 354 note 2} L. Imasiku.

^{Page 354 note 3} The three documents, all in private hands, are entitled: ‘Historical Record of Assurances Given of Barotseland's Rights’, undated; ‘The Lozi Case for a Protectorate’, 1963; and ‘Barotseland Constitution’, 1963, respectively.

^{Page 354 note 4} Informant ‘X’.

^{Page 354 note 5} Northern News, 13 September 1963; Rawlins, , Annual Report (1963);Google Scholar and H. Noyoo.

^{Page 354 note 6} Central African Mail, 24 Jaunary 1964.

^{Page 354 note 7} Northern News, 11 June 1965.

^{Page 354 note 8} The fact of this journey is confirmed by informant ‘X’ of the Boma, and also by a senior member of the Litunga's staff, who must be called informant ‘Y’.

^{Page 355 note 1} Northern Rhodesian Labour Department, Annual Report (Lusaka, 1960),Google Scholar and Richard Bailey, W.N.L.A. Representative, Barotseland, 1950–66.

^{Page 355 note 2} Lubita showed me a copy of this letter, undated, bearing the Litunga's official seal.

^{Page 355 note 3} Which it in fact did in 1967.

^{Page 355 note 4} R. Bailey of W.N.L.A. in Mongu denied this, but Lubita's claim was confirmed by L. Imasiku, the Litunga's private secretary, and Griffiths Mukande, treasurer of the Native Government until 1963.

^{Page 356 note 1} Northern News, 20 April 1964.

^{Page 356 note 2} L. K. Wilson to Mwanawina, 20 April 5964, and Kaunda to Mwanawina, 20 April 1964, in Boma Files, Negotiations with Central Government Dossier.

^{Page 356 note 3} Ngambela H. Noyoo and informant ‘X’.

^{Page 356 note 4} The Barotseland Agreement, 1964, Cmd. 2366 (London, 1964).Google Scholar

^{Page 356 note 5} Cited in a letter dated 23 June 1965 from Ngambela Noyoo to President Kaunda, Boma Files, Negotiations with Central Government Dossier; Mr Zaza made the same comments to me personally.

^{Page 357 note 1} Northern News, 11 June 1965.

^{Page 357 note 2} John Stewart, Senior Provincial Local Government Officer in Barotseland, October 1964 to December 1965.

^{Page 357 note 3} Central African Mail, 14 May 1965.

^{Page 357 note 4} J. Stewart.

^{Page 357 note 5} Northern News, 10 June 1965.

^{Page 357 note 6} Ibid. 29 June 1965.

^{Page 358 note 1} J. Stewart.

^{Page 358 note 2} Zambian Mail (formerly Central African Mail), 3 September 1965.

^{Page 358 note 3} Times of Zambia (formerly Northern News), 22 September 1965.

^{Page 358 note 4} Letter of 20 September 1965 from Ngambela Noyoo to John Stewart, in private hands.

^{Page 358 note 5} Prince Ngombala Lubita; informant ‘Y’ of the Native Government; also my notes of a meeting between John Stewart and 55 Chiefs and indunas at Lealui, 27 August 1965.

^{Page 358 note 6} Informant ‘Y’.

^{Page 358 note 7} Times of Zambia, 30 October 1965.

^{Page 358 note 8} Government of Zambia, Act no. 67 of 1965.

^{Page 359 note 1} Low and Pratt, op. cit. p. 299.

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Barotseland: the secessionist challenge to Zambia

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