By JONATHAN MUKUKA-
June 17, 2022 marks exactly one year after the death of Zambia’s first President Kenneth Kaunda.
In celebrating the first memorial of the late Dr Kaunda, the author of this article visited Lubwa Mission, Dr Kaunda’s birth place located eight kilometres from Chinsali on the Chinsali-Kasama Road.
At this time of the year, the area is quiet cold, about 11 degrees Celsius, and the mood of the people around Lubwa is sombre as though they are in mourning.
One of the elders at the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) Lubwa congregation Watson Lombe was on hand to receive the guest.
Mr Lombe, who is also acting Senior Chief Nkula of the Bemba people of Chinsali and Shiwang’andu districts, has great memories of the late Dr Kaunda and his family.
“Ba Dr Kaunda was born from Chinsali in the then Northern Province and his father, David, was a missionary who worked under the Free Church of Scotland,” Mr Lombe said.
He said Dr Kaunda’s father of arrived at Lubwa Mission in 1905 when he was only 27 years.
David Kaunda worked at the mission for 27 years and died after suffering from malaria.
Dr Kaunda was the last born in a family of five children, two boys and three girls.
He was born on April 28, 1924, and 14 days later, he was baptised in the church.
Mr Lombe said Lubwa Mission will forever remain home to Dr Kaunda because even his father, mother, sister and brother are all buried in the Lubwa Mission graveyard.
Mr Lombe said the best way to remember Dr Kaunda is through the promotion of the ‘One Zambia One Nation’ motto and to be committed to duty.
“Ba Kaunda loved humanity and always promoted peace and unity,” he said.
Lubwa Mission will remain very important in the history of Zambia because this is the place that gave birth to a man who later was to become the first President of Zambia.
What is also important is that Dr Kaunda got engaged in politics while teaching at Lubwa Mission as a part time teacher.
He taught Standard Six Lower and later left to pursue his political career in the Copperbelt and Lusaka provinces.
“Our appeal to the Government and well-wishers is to help us with preserving the structures at the mission, which include the church building and where the umbilical cord for Dr Kaunda is buried. Our
church building at Lubwa Mission is very old and there is need to preserve it and we also need furniture,” Mr Lombe said.
Other Chinsali based senior citizens and freedom fighters equally want Dr Kaunda, who was fondly known as KK, to be remembered as a man who was committed to see Zambia developed.
The senior citizens and freedom fighters in Chinsali are asking Zambian citizens to be patriotic and contribute positively towards the economic development of the country.
They said there is need for Zambian citizens to put the interest of the country first and promote love and peace.
Mr Mukuka Chifwamba of Chandamali said there is need to take a leaf from the conduct of the forefathers whose love for the country motivated them to work together for a common goal.
Mr Chifwamba said the late Dr Kaunda and his peers were selfless and loved humanity.
He said Zambia’s forefathers detested corruption and that is why it was possible for them to achieve what they accomplished in various sectors of the economy just a few years after independence.
“Almost all the leaders who were in the forefront fighting for our independence, including those who formed part of the first Cabinet of Dr Kaunda after independence, are no more. But there is something that we can learn from these people and that is their selfless leadership and desire to unite the Zambian citizens,” Mr Chifwamba said.
The former freedom fighter, who was once taught by Dr Kaunda at Lubwa Mission in the early 1950s in Standards Six Lower, said right from his teaching days, Dr Kaunda never tolerated nonsense.
He said the country’s first President was a principled man who wanted things to be done in a perfect manner.
The senior citizen noted that Zambia can only be developed by Zambians and that it is important that every citizen works hard to contribute positively towards the economic development of the country.
“In unity, we can achieve a lot and I want to appeal to every Zambian citizen to put in his or her best in making Zambia a better country,” Mr Chifwamba said.
Rodwell Mwansabamba, 86, a freedom fighter of Chandamali Village in the Chinsali, called on Zambians to love one another and promote peace and unity in the country as late Dr Kaunda did.
Mr Mwansabamba said no Zambian national should be stigmatised on the basis of tribe, colour, creed or belief.
He said Dr Kaunda preached love and peace.
He said as a way of honouring him, it is important that there is love and peace in the country.
Mr Mwansabamba said no one should be allowed to divide the people of Zambia on political lines.
He appealed to the citizens to continue being united and work together to make Zambia a better country for everyone.
The senior citizen also appealed to Zambians to embrace the One Zambia One Nation motto as preached by Dr Kaunda.
Zambia’s founding President died at the age of 97 on June 17 at Maina Soko Medical Centre in Lusaka after an illness.
He was mourned across the world and described as a liberation icon.
Dr Kaunda was buried in Lusaka at the presidential burial ground on July 7, 2021 after all the 10 provincial centres were accorded a chance to view his body and pay their last respects. – ZANIS