Kaunda - Wa muyaya

Dr Charles Mubita In the early 1960s, before the Kwacha and the Ngwe replaced the Pound and the Pence respectively, the words Kwacha (dawn) and Ngwe (bright) were the key Zambian nationalist slogans alluding to a &ldquo;new dawn of freedom and a bright future&rdquo;. From independence in 1964, another set of nationalist slogans reverberated throughout Zambia: &ldquo;One Zambia, one nation, one nation, one leader, that leader, Dr Kenneth David Kaunda (KK) wa muyaya (forever/eternal)&rdquo;. Firmly convinced that Zambia&rsquo;s independence was not the end of his liberation mission, KK, as he is popularly known, produced a signature tune that he used to rally support for the liberation struggle in Namibia, Angola, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe through his famous song &ldquo;Tiyende Pamodzi ndim'tima umo (lets go together with one heart to cross the Limpopo until freedom is achieved&rdquo;. Through this, KK inspired millions of people worldwide to support the struggle for liberation in southern Africa. It also gave courage to the oppressed people in the sub-region. KK came to power on the crest of a wave of liberation movements which saw many African countries gain independence from European colonialism. Although he was never against multi-party democracy, KK banned all political parties except UNIP in 1968 because in his own words &ldquo;It would be disastrous for Zambia if we have a multi-party system because these other parties would be used to oppose Zambia&rsquo;s participation in the freedom struggle of the people of southern Africa&rdquo;. Zambia under KK paid a high price in human life and economic terms &ndash; a price that cannot be quantified in monetary terms &ndash; for his unwavering support for the liberation struggle in southern Africa. Zambian infrastructure and people were not spared in the ruthless bombings of the country by Rhodesian and South African racist forces. His logistical support for liberation movements aggravated Zambia&rsquo;s economic problems. The burden placed on the Zambian economy by his unflinching support for the independence struggle in southern Africa is indescribable. European imperialism, through their henchmen in Rhodesia and South Africa, tightened screws to strangulate Zambia economically and restrict its trade routes. In response, KK negotiated the TAZARA Railway linking Kapiri Mposhi on the Zambian Copperbelt with Tanzania's port of Dar-es-Salaam on the Indian Ocean. Completed in 1975, this was the only route for bulk trade which did not have to transit colonial or settler-dominated territories. This precarious situation lasted more than 20 years, until the independence of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia and the abolition of apartheid in South Africa. It brought untold suffering to the people of Zambia. However, they tightened their belts, firmly convinced by KK that their suffering was justified to free their colonised brothers and sisters south of the Zambezi. Military bases, refugee camps, refugee reception centres and schools were set up in most parts of Zambia for use by the southern African liberation movements. Many patriots from these liberation movements were absorbed in Zambian schools such as Evelyn Horn College, University of Zambia, Ndola Secondary and many others. Other patriots were absorbed and given internships in many Zambian industries. Zambia Broadcasting Services (before it became ZBC) was directed to introduce an external radio service for use by the liberation movements to relay radio broadcasts to the oppressed but struggling people of Namibia, Angola, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe. There were times when KK literally took the bull by the horn in order to force the colonialists to negotiate a peaceful transfer of power to the oppressed majority. On 25 August 1976, KK met with the then Prime Minister of apartheid South Africa, B.J. Vorster, at Victoria Falls to discuss possibilities for an internal settlement in Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). After the Lancaster House Agreement in late 1979, KK met with Pieter Willem Botha in Botswana to debate the independence of Namibia. On both occasions he failed to convince the apartheid leaders to abandon their illegal occupation of Namibia and Zimbabwe and to end the pernicious ideology of apartheid in South Africa. The life and history of KK are inextricably intertwined with the history of liberation in southern Africa. Thanks to him and the late Julius Mwalimu Nyerere, the Frontline States group came into being to sustain the struggle for the liberation of southern Africa. The sacrifices made by Zambia, the Zambian people and KK in particular for the liberation of southern Africa cannot be matched by anyone, living or dead. He deserves an honorary citizenship of Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. It is unbelievable how we exalt and honour dead heroes and belittle their heroism while they are still alive. Dr Charles Mubita holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Southern California.

Kaunda - Wa muyaya

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-19

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Kaunda - Wa muyaya

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-19

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