By Sam Phiri-
THE unification of Barotseland, a former a British protectorate with Northern Rhodesia on May 18, 1964,  50 years ago,  culminated into the birth of a sovereign unitary State called Zambia and engraved a deep historical landmark on the Zambian political template.
That is why many Balozi people in the Western part of Zambia have this historical event that led to the total independence of Zambia so close to their hearts. They tell it well.
According to them, the struggle meant scratching Royal pride and ego in order to collectively achieve a common goal of liberating the country from the hands of colonial masters.
It is in the records that the British, at the time, had very special interests in the Barotse Protectorate against the will of the land owners such that time had come to take a huge action whose results will be celebrated throughout this Jubilee year.
“The colonial masters built Lewanika General Hospital, yes, and could even serve people at the hospital; patient or no patient with nice cocoa, but we knew that all that was window-dressing.
“In fact they collected a lot of taxes from people who used to work in South African mines. The King had to intervene and ask why his subjects were taken to work and taxed without his Kingdom benefiting.
It was during this period that the colonial masters built the very ever first school in the Barotseland called the Balozi National School (BNS) where pupils received free education, milk and rice. They had huts used as boarding facility.
“At that time education knew no age as you would find married people wife and husband going to start their first grade,”
But as time went by, we the blacks felt belittled and isolated and yet we were at home … we had no real freedom and yet we hosted them,” a senior citizen Mulele Mumbisho narrates.
He went on to say: “From the Royal family to the common Lozi man and woman, time had come to simply face reality and get our independence as a unitary state now Zambia – through the signing of the Barotse Agreement.”
Mulele Mumbisho is one patriotic and senior Lozi citizen whose traditional and cultural traits are visibly evident and alive in whatever he does or say.
History of the land is seemingly right on his fingertips.
The unsung heroes and indeed those that have been honoured are seemingly well recorded in his wits library which he is capable of sifting through even in old age!
But who are these heroes and heroines especially those that have remained behind a closed historical door of highly publicised independence struggle stalwarts and the Barotseland Agreement.
Mr Mumbisho enjoys recalling freedom fighter history though his major disappointment is that many facts pertaining to independence struggle contributors and the Barotse Agreement have largely been distorted and misunderstood.
“It seems we are turning into a community that wants to distort history and throw it away and its like we are proud of that … we are bad parents,” Mumbisho thinks.
He would start telling his story by saying: “50 years ago, and just few months before the Zambian flag was pulled up its mast, there was an important agreement signed to mainly consolidate relations between Northern Rhodesia and Barotseland,”
According to this senior citizen, it is disappointing that people have remained in the dark about this Agreement that played a pivotal role in attaining Independence leading to the key motto of ‘One Zambia One Nation’ which is an extract from the fourth paragraph of the Barotse Land agreement.
He detests talking about the issue of seceding as it kills the original intent of what the Agreement and the subsequent independence stood for.
This year, Zambia is celebrating this unique and historical 50 years of freedom, unity and peace with many who made it attainable losing their lives on the way or indeed hidden from the face of honour. This is another factor that this man detests.
There are some prominent freedom fighters whose names are not so loudly spoken about but made significant contributions to the independence struggle and inevitable attainment of liberty.
One of the names that has continued to come out so prominently are those of Godwin Mbikusita Lewanika who was the founder member of the African National Congress (ANC) though history gives much light to the subsequent leader Harry Mwanga Nkumbula.
According to Mr Mumbisho, Godwin Mbikusita Lewanika remains an icon of the liberation struggle such that history of Zambian politics remains hanging without the mention of his name.
That is why he remains grateful to the government and President Michael Sata for honouring this great man by setting up a university in his name.
Another hero that the Lozi community would live to remember is, Jonathan Lichilana who penned the National Anthem lyrics.
On the issue of Mr Lichilana, many Lozi observers have cried foul over his marginalisation as they say the National Anthem is sung at every function but without special regard to the person who was instrumental in writing the words.
Though he is late, they feel that his family would be considered during this year’s investiture ceremony to mark 50 years of independence.
Nalumino Mundia; born on the  November 27, 1927 was yet another Zambian politician whose history has interesting events. Mundia is in the history books as being the first African politician to enter the then Prime Minister Sir Roy Welensky’s house puzzlingly.
It is said that in a rare bid to pressure the British colonial masters, Mundia  misteriously entered Welensky’s house without the security guards noticing his entry. It is told that he was found seated in the sitting room of the Prime Minister early in the morning.
In 1968 Mundia under the United Party(UP) continued making historical post independence political strides against the United National Independence Party (UNIP) and then President Kaunda that led to his detention.
To able to understand what transpired about the Mundia detention it is essential to retrace the history of May 29,1968 in Lusaka’s Matero Township then known as the hot bed of interparty violence.
It was during this time that Mundia through a loudspeaker addressed hundreds of people about the intentions of the UP to participate in the general elections.
As he outlined the strategy, he told the gathering that there was plot to assassinate him by fellow political rivals.
And when he announced the names of UNIP members who wished to join the party, the meeting came under a heal of stones leading to the arrest of Mundia himself, Henry Ndhlovu, William Chipango, Dickson Chikulo, Julius Namakando and Adamson Mushala.
Mundia known then as ‘Yesu’ (Jesus) for his habits of fasting to dramatise his protest and his compatriots were later acquitted in August 1968.
Later under the one party participatory democracy Mundia found himself serving as Prime Minister of the country from February 18, 1981 to  April 24, 1985.
He went on to serve as Zambia’s Ambassador to the United States, Brazil, Peru and Venezuela. He was born in Kalabo.
He collapsed at a diplomatic function and subsequently died of a heart attack, in the United States on November 9, 1988, and was survived by his wife and six children.
About 27 names mostly women from the Western province have been nominated as possible recipients for awards during the investiture ceremony in Mongu.

By Margaret Mangani
The month of October is considered as the breast cancer awareness period.
The pink ribbon is worn or should be pinned on the breast of all those who could have a chance to obtain one from those found circulating it on breast-cancer as a sign of awareness this month.
As I wore my Pink ribbon, it reminded me of many women that have gone ahead with breast-cancer.
These include our sisters, out there in the far flung areas who could have been ignorant of the fact that breast-cancer exists and yet can kill.
As we remember those who have passed on just know that somewhere our mothers, sisters, wives and friends may be suffering silently from breast-cancer due to lack of information on the same.
The time to join the race, to start spreading information or vital knowledge on breast cancer is now. The month of October could just be the right moment and so do create awareness without any cost implications at all.
Rather than waiting upon the politicians to flag the race. Cancer of any form may affect any members of our families and so we need to carry out as much publicity on the killer disease as possible. It would be folly for anyone to claim that they are not affected if not infected.
Common Cancers
in Zambia
The most common cancers are cervical, kaposis sarcoma, bladder prostrate and breast. We can do more before the month of October gets to an end to spread out the news about breast-cancer which has ravaged many members of our families.
It is not too late to do so, even using the social media such as facebook can be helpful. I for one,  has  a friend on facebook her name is Doreen Mwenya Grant, who is based in the USA.
She is one of those survivors who has done so much to reach out to many other women with such messages out there.
She is very passionate about the subject such that she does not hesitate to share her experiences of how she has survived the disease.
A survivor is one that may have gone through that painful experience of learning that she had breast cancer but is now managing it and living with it. In Doreen’s instance, she had to undergo what they call the surgical removal of the affected breast remaining with one which is not. Of course after that operation she has had to make certain adjustments to her lifestyle such as change in diet which now comprises mostly of vegetables, fruits and dropping of meat products and so forth. After discovering that she had breast cancer, Doreen has lived on a positive happy life and achieved quite a lot.
This author is proud to state that she is a living testimony. In addition, early treatment is a must and that is what she resorted to doing. Being a mother with a supportive partner, I have no doubt that she is also reaching out to even those that are in the far flung places with awareness messages so there is need for us to emulate her.
So as we travel on those planes, buses or cars, the breast cancer messages should be disseminated to others. The size of the breast doesn’t really matter if big or small.
Infact in Doreen’s incidence, she discovered that something was wrong just after the birth of one of her kids and sought the right action. We can also use the text messaging system method to disseminate such messages. As one coming from the media, I feel we cannot just be left out of this battle we need to join in with the modern technology that we can use to disseminate such awareness messages.
Apart from ensuring that the ‘Pink Ribbon’ is distributed, information dissemination is paramount as well. Perhaps as the pink ribbon is being distributed it is incumbent upon us to relay the important messages on Breast-Cancer.
You and I may never know it might save a life or two by taking such a step. Places such as churches, markets or bus stations should be targeted and with such powerful messages we need to be agents for.
For instance, you cannot just place a pink ribbon on someone’s breast without explaining what it is all about. There is need to explain the prevalence rate of cancer in Zambia including breast cancer and the fact that October apart from being the Jubilee month for Zambia is also observed as breast cancer month.
A pink ribbon should not just be adorned as a fashionable item without relaying such important messages attached to its significance. It should be explained clearly that its part of the awareness campaign specifically for breast cancer. Mind you when cancer strikes it is not painful initially it may just be a growth or lump in the breast which can later on turn out to be a  killer if not properly handled.
Breast-cancer mostly affects women in developing countries but require supportive partners to manage the disease in a stress free environment.
Other symptoms are a change in the shape of the breast, dimpling, fluid coming from the nipple or a red scary patch of skin. Risky factors of developing breast-cancer are obesity, lack of physical exercise and hormone replacement during menopause, among other factors.
Important things to observe to avoid risk of developing cancer;
•    Avoid smoking tobacco
•    Drink Alcohol in moderation
•    Exercise regularly.
•    Eat a diet high in fibre, low in fat, low sugar and salt
•     Maintain a body weight .
•    Find ways to relieve stress.
•    Avoid promiscuity.
•    Always use a condom .
So do not allow the month of October pass you by without sharing such important health messages with friends, relatives or strangers out there. Breast-cancer awareness is observed annually in the month of October and so look out for that ‘Pink Ribbon’ it is equally as important don’t pin it on minus such vital messages it carries about the disease.
The Bible in the book of Hosea 4;6 states that my people perish due to lack of knowledge. Do not be part of those who are perishing simply because you lack knowledge. Get the information and learn to share it with others.