Some people might argue that there is little merit in doing so, but I believe it is important that as we say goodbye to 2014 and embark upon the 50-year journey we should remember some of the pioneers who plotted Zambia’s path to the Golden Jubilee we celebrated last October 24.
I have in mind the country’s first Cabinet founding president Kenneth Kaunda appointed when Northern Rhodesia gained its independence from Britain on October 24, 1964.
This is the team that set the tone for the country’s development over the past 50 years.
After forming a coalition government with Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula’s African National Congress (ANC) between 1962 and 1963, Kaunda, who was then prime minister, formed his UNIP Cabinet, naming former educationist John Mwanakatwe as minister of education; Alexander Grey Zulu, Minister of Commerce and Industry; Justin Chimba, Minister of Labour and Mines; SikotaWina, Minister of Health; Arthur Wina, Minister of Finance; Elijah Mudenda, Minister of Agriculture; Solomon Kalulu, Minister of Lands and Works; Dingiswayo Banda, Minister of Housing and Social Development; MunukayumbwaSipalo, Minister of Natural Resources; Rueben ChitandikaKamanga, Minister of Transport and Communication; Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe, Minister of Home Affairs; Mainza Chona, Minister of Justice; and Nalumino Mundia, Minister of Local Government.
The coalition government was formed thanks to Nkumbula who agreed when approached to join forces with Kaunda after neither of two parties (UNIP and ANC) could gain absolute majority in the country’s first one-man-one vote elections on December 10, 1962.
Held under the Ian Macleod 15-15-15 constitutional arrangement of Upper, National and Lower Rolls, UNIP won 14 seats, ANC won seven seats from both the Lower and National rolls.
John Roberts all-whites United Federal Party (UFP) won 16 seats from the Upper Roll. With a combined total of 21 seats in Parliament UNIP and ANC were thus able to form the first coalition government in which Kaunda served as Minister of Local Government and Housing and Nkumbula as Minister of Education.
Sadly, all except Kaunda, Sikota Wina and Grey Zulu did no live long enough to celebrate the country’s 50th anniversary of Independence last October 24, 2014.
The nation was dealt a mortal blow four days later when sitting President Michael ChilufyaSata died in a London hospital where he was being treated for an undisclosed illness, leaving Edgar Lungu in the saddle.
But suffice it to say all the fallen heroes’ legacies live on – and it is now upon the new generation of political leaders in the race for the January 20 presidential by-election. It would appear Sata had a premonition and decided to choose a ‘muzungu’ – as a neutral man that everyone would accept – to keep the nation together in his absence.
Given the record number of presidential candidates bidding for the top job one can imagine the chaos that would have engulfed the country had God not given Sata the foresight and wisdom to nip such eventuality in the bud. It is the second time this has happened.
In other words, history is repeating itself. Dr Kaunda would have probably not become a president of this country if ‘indigenous’  – from the various factions and welfare associations that merged to form UNIP — had been willing to be led by a fellow ‘local’ regardless of his or her tribe or place of origin in the country.
Although it later became a big constitutional issue (the parentage issue) introduced by the Chluba MMD administration in the mid 1990s, every politician knew at the time that Dr Kaunda’s parents, David and Helen, came to Northern Rhodesia from Nyasaland (now Malawi) as Church of Scotland missionaries who settled at Lubwa Mission in Chinsali District, Northern Province. Because they would not agree among themselves, the Northern Rhodesian Africans decided to give the top job to the young Kenneth Kaunda, as a ‘neutral man’ – who would not take sides.
Named after Kenneth, the former king of Scotland, KK presided over Zambian affairs from 1960 to 1991 when Frederick Chiluba and his MMD ousted UNIP from power following the reintroduction of multiparty elections.
Much to his credit, Dr Kaunda introduced the ‘One Zambia One Nation’ motto – ostensibly to help inculcate a spirit of unity among Zambia’s 73 tribes – something for which he deserves ungrudging commendation. Looking in the distant past, I believe that although one-party states became fashionable in Africa immediately after gaining independence, KK was driven into declaring Zambia a one-party state in 1973, partly because some overly ambitious and power-hungry so-called ‘local politicians’ were and still are unwilling to accept other ‘locals’ from tribes or regions to be their leaders.
How else does one explain the rationale behind the decision taken by some veteran politicians – some of them who should be playing the role of neutral state counselors – to ditch parties that sent them to Parliament and the foreign-service?
I believe it is not hatred per-se for certain presidential candidates but fear of imagined ‘domination’ by one ethnic group that is frighteningly at the heart of the problem in the country.
The present fears among some people could only be put to rest by a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that the South Africans used to bring their country together after decades of the hated and oppressive apartheid system.
Some people are scared that once elected such and such a person would drag them to the courts of law for the sins (known only to themselves) they committed as civil servants, council secretaries, town clerks, mayors, ministers, ambassadors and High Commissioners, managing directors of parastatal companies, editors-in-chief, police commissioners (both district and provincial) etc.
These are the people who will stop at nothing to make sure so and so does not get the coveted prize – and they do so on the pretext their kith and kin are marginalised and discriminated against. Really?
Zambians should learn from non-racist white South Africans in particular who accepted Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and now Jacob Zulu as presidents of a free and democratic South Africa – thanks, in part, to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The Bible says only the guilty run away even when no one is chasing after them. So those who have nothing to hide, whether within Zambia or elsewhere, must come forward and explain to the commission without fear of prosecution how they managed to amass so much wealth in a country rated
While politicians are engaged in a game of musical chairs, forging alliances and trading verbal punches in the run-up to the January 20 by-election, the ordinary Zambians, as always, are waiting to do what they are renowned for: Elect a president of their choice despite the pre-election prompting by the self-seeking kinsmen and women.
“Certain things can only happen in Zambia; that has been my experience in Africa,” Brian Jones, a Welsh friend of mine remarked in Gaborone upon learning that Michael Sata, a former policeman and London’s Victory Railway station platform labourer, had won the September 2011 presidential election (at the expense of ex-foreign minister and Levy Mwanawasa’s hand-picked successor, Rupiah Banda) and appointed Guy Scott, a Whiteman, as his Vice President.
“In Zimbabwe, they tried to use a trade unionist (Morgan Tsvangirai) to remove Robert Mugabe and failed, but you guys when you said ‘enough is enough’ you used Chiluba (former Zambia Congress of Trade Unions chairman-general) to remove Kaunda from power.
Even in Kenya, they tried to use Tom Mboya, a unionist, to remove Jomo Kenyatta but failed. I like Zambia; I have never been to Zambia but many people tell me it is a very nice country,” Jones, a construction engineer, said with a sense of wonderment.
“You must drive there and see things for yourself; I bet you won’t come back to Botswana,” I told him as he stood there, weighing his options.
“But I can’t do that at the moment. Batswana are clever; they have given me permanent residence here. Above all I am married to a Motswana woman with whom I have a beautiful daughter that I would like to send to school in Zambia because I hear things are on the move once again because Sata is improving everything,” Brian Jones said.
Yes, Zambia is a great country with much economic potential.
They enjoy much international goodwill that no presidential aspirant should be allowed to destroy for selfish gain. Despite their ideological differences, our founding fathers – Zambia’s first Cabinet ministers and others, managed to steer the country for 50 years as a peaceful and stable nation in a conflict-torn and strife-ridden continent.
That shall unquestionably remain their enduring legacy for next 50 years and beyond.
“An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it. Truth stands, even if there be no public support. It is self sustained.” – Gandhi
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