• MS Chipalo (with a black head dress) poses with children, great grand children and grand children on the eve of her 80th birthday
By HARBGUY MWAMBAZI –
ZAMBIAN women took a pivotal role in the struggle for freedom which the country is enjoying hence the need to recognise such efforts.
Godfridah Chanda Chipalo, who is 83-years-old, is one of the unsung heroines who contributed to the peace the country is enjoying for over 50 years.
She was born in the Bemba Royal Family of Chief Benson Sampa Mwamba Chipalo and she was a granddaughter of Chitimukulu Kanyanta One.
Ms Chipalo had a well paying job at Mufulira Mine Hospital, but she gave it up to join the freedom struggle in 1960.
“I was born on June 4, 1933 at Kasonka village while my father was still Chief Kasonka and then he was moved to Chief Chipalo when the colonial government reduced the number of Bemba Chiefs,” she says
Ms Chipalo started school at Kalisha Primary School which was the headquarters of Chief Chipalo’s area before she went to Miller School in Kasama where she completed her Standard Six.
When she went to Miller School, the Head teacher was Larz Bridger but was succeeded by a Mr Moltmer.
Mr Moltmer was also succeeded by a Mr Mushanga and then Mr Lukashi Muma Mwamba.
“Some of the seniors I found at Miller Schools were Lewis Changufu, another freedom fighter, who joined politics and he was in the first Cabinet of the Republic of Zambia.
When Ms Chipalo left school, she went to train as an academic and domestic science teacher at Mbereshi Mission in Luapula Province.
The Missionaries employed her to teach in Lupala where she taught at Chitondo and Musanda Mission schools in Kawambwa District.
Ms Chipalo later relocated to Luwingu District where she taught at Washeni, Chikoti and Ipusukilo Mission Schools.
“I left teaching in 1956 and joined the mines as a trainee nurse at Mufulira Mine Hospital. Mufulira was a political hot spot and I soon joined politics secretly because the colonial mine management did not allow employees to participate in politics.
“When the African National Congress (ANC), split, I joined the breakaway Zambia African National Congress (ZANC). When ZANC was banned, I joined the new party; the United National Independence Party (UNIP) because I supported those who wanted immediate independence,” Ms Chipalo says.
She joined UNIP in 1959 but she participated in politics secretly.
However, the colonial managers were very suspicious and she was dismissed from employment in April 1960 as many Bemba speaking people were fired and told to get employment from first Republican President Kenneth Kaunda.
“During this same period, Ms Lillian Burton was killed in riots in Ndola and my brother Joseph Mutale and my father Ronald Shimumbi (later succeeded as Chief Tungati, Chipalo, Mporokoso and Munkonge) were implicated and arrested.
I therefore, remained in Mufulira to wait for their trial. When they were acquitted, my husband and I relocated with the whole family to Mansa formerly known as Fort Rosebery.
In Mansa, she joined the District Council and started working in the Community Department where she worked for six months besides being involved in political activities.
On August 14 1960, she joined women in the burning of the Fitupa (internal passports that were used to control the movement of Africans within the country) and Michato (marriage certificates).
“We paraded half naked young boys and girls and led them to the office of the Provincial Commissioner (PC). The children carried their parents’ Fitupa and Michato. The PC came out of his office and asked what we wanted, and we told him we wanted to rule ourselves.
The children then lit a fire and burnt the Fitupa and Michato and we then dispersed while singing freedom songs. We did not allow the men to participate in order to protect them from being arrested,” Ms Chipalo narrates
Some days later, the Kalangas (soldiers from Zimbabwe), who were feared so much came to Mansa, but to avoid being arrested, they went into hiding in Chief Mabumba’s area.
They stayed in hiding for two weeks but when the situation calmed down, they we went back into Mansa before proceeding to Luwingu to her father’s village the next day.
“When we arrived in the village, we found Chief Chipalo under the guard of the police and the residents. The colonial authorities had circulated a story that UNIP were planning to kill the Chief,” Ms Chipalo said.
However, they later discovered that the story was a lie meant to divide the people.
Meanwhile, the Cha Cha Cha had also started in Luwingu and the UNIP followers were burning bridges, schools and blocking the roads with logs and trees.
The colonial officials required permission from the Chief to use force but he refused and they were just trying to trick him to give them permission to kill people.
Thereafter, she joined the struggle and became the District Chairperson for the Women’s Brigade for Luwingu District.
During this same period, Dr Kaunda and other national leaders visited Luwingu.
Other chiefs in the district refused to meet him but her father did.
Other leaders who came to the palace with Dr Kaunda were Sikota Wina, Mr Changufu, Mr Mutemba, Nalumino Mundia and Munukayumbwa Sipalo.
“I continued as Chairperson of the Women’s Brigade throughout the struggle. The District Commissioner for Luwingu, Mr Mosley was very much against me. He used to come to my father to ask him to tell me to leave politics.
He used to say that I would be dumped by the new African government because I was not educated. I therefore confronted him in his office and slapped him,” Ms Chipalo said.
From that day, Mr Mosley was scared of her thus enabling the organisation of the party freely.
She was even allowed to visit all the political detainees who were held at the massive detention center at Luwingu Boma.
“In fact, I want that detention center to be declared as a national heritage site,” said Ms Chipalo.
The struggle was very hard, because the district headquarters was located 20 kilometers from the Boma at Kapila Village and they operated at the house of their chairman Paul Chapuswike.
The police constantly raided the village, but they had spies who used to warn them and one of the freedom fighters, Benjamin Bwalya would go and hide the files in the bush.
They used to move from their homes and camp in this village for a week or two and each one of them came with their own provisions.
The only means of transport were bicycles and they cover long distances in a day but they mostly travelled at night to avoid being detected.
“We used to trick the police; we never told them when and where we would be holding meetings because it was difficult to get permits. We held most of the meetings indoors and in classrooms in places where there were schools.”
Other leaders that were active in Luwingu and Chilubi districts included Paul Mucheleka, Alexander Mucheleka, Ntalasha Mucheleka, John Chifumo, John Mapulanga, Joseph Mupeseni, Harriett Chifumo, Fenny Jelasi, John Mbolela, Kani Kapya, Peter Lungowe, John Nsendeme, and Edward ‘Crusoe’ Muleba who composed many of the songs that were sung in the freedom struggle.
After attaining independence, she was appointed the first Women’s Regional Secretary for Luwingu District while former Member of the Central Committee and Diplomat Kasonde Kasutu was the first Regional Secretary.
She held this position until 1966 when she was recruited into the Zambia Youth Service.
After military training at Kafue, she moved to Mbala in Northern Province where she became the boarding mistress at the first girl’s Zambia Youth Service Camp at Lunzuwa.
This was a good camp for the nation as girls came from all the districts in the country to continue academic studies as well learn practical subjects such as agriculture, domestic science, military discipline and sports.
Members of staff also came from all parts of Zambia there were also military trainers from Israel, teachers from Holland, Canada and Denmark.
It was like a small ‘United Nations.
‘I resigned from the Zambia Youth Service in 1972 to go back to the village to look after my ailing parents. Today, like all the other freedom fighters, I am looked after by my children.
“I would like the Government to come up with a system of looking after the freedom fighters. There are not many of us that are left in the whole country. The society must care for us.
She would like the young people of this country to be more patriotic by avoiding corrupt and immoral activities.
Zambia is a beautiful country with many good people who have maintained peace since independence. We can develop and have wealth if we love each other and love our country.
