Hon. Kenneth Kaunda - Air date: May 1997

Kenneth David Kaunda (born 1924), first president of Zambia, was a leading figure in his country's independence movement. Until he stepped down in 1991, he maintained his critical position as the leader of a buffer country between white-ruled states in southern Africa and hostile, independent black-ruled states to the north. Resenting the racial discrimination that prevailed in central Africa, Kaunda helped to found the African National Congress (ANC), the first major anticolonial organization in Northern Rhodesia. He was its secretary general from 1953 to 1958 under ANC president Harry Nkumbula. Early on, Kaunda became committed to the nonviolent principles of India's Mohandas Gandhi, a position strengthened by his visit to India in 1957. He broke with Nkumbula and became president of the Zambia African National Union from 1958 through 1959. Zambia slowly moved through the complications of earning independence. Much of the success is attributed to the skillful diplomacy of Kenneth Kaunda, who succeeded in allaying the fears of the huge European and smaller Asian community that black leadership would ignore their interests. In October 1964, the new nation of Zambia was born, with Kaunda as its president. Kaunda, like other African leaders, faced the complex problems of independence and tribalism, although his diplomatic skills saved his country the trauma of civil war. However, political pressures within and without his borders led him to impose single- party rule in 1973. With civil war to the west in Angola in 1976 and continuing conflict in Rhodesia, Kaunda won, unopposed, a new five-year term. Pledging his government to enforce high standards of morality and concern for public welfare, he was able to put down several attempted coups over the next few years.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• African
• Freedom
• Struggle
• Zambia
• Libya
• Justice
• Human
• Rights
• MNNyc

[suirvale]

i never been in zambia, i wonder do they have construction projects for roads etc,.

in kenaya i think they woud have nothing unless outsiders did it for them,..btu i am white so i wll be told i am wrong,.

[moondear2000]

super ken..kk!!!tiyende pamodzi ndi mutima umo!!!! kaunda tiye tili pamodzi!! his favorite song!

[2dongo]

KK well done, you will always be my hero. The western world has colonized us again. I am glad that today we have strong African leader like Mugabe, Zuma, Lupiya and so on. Mugabe has probably used a wrong approach, but he is right. He is only wrong because Britain thinks so and advertises so. Africa you can do it on your own we should all say no to donations. Thanks to the book by Dambiso Moyo

[skuzapu]

'fought' for independance!? what, a glorious revolution and war against the tyranny of colonial Britain?! didn't know Zambia had one? enlighten me....

[fabvee]

LOVE Super Ken, he & my grandpa fought 4 zambia's independence together and unfortunately my grandpa never lived to see Zambia get independence and my aunty never got to see her dad. its men like KK who risked their lives so we can enjoy our FREEDOM, for those writing hate posts you have no idea what freedom fighters went thru - my family has a constant reminder of the sacrifices involved in our FREEDOM "pictures" of my late grandpa Omero Mumba - RIP

[intrepeco]

dont waste your time with uninformed bitter europeans tune5000; ignorance by freeriding whites in europe and america is rampant. these are people for whom an African country is fine when ruled by their kins. for them coloured citizens should be poor even in their own countries. hate for independent Africans is shared by governments and their ignorant punks.

[bentube218]

Tune5000 is 100% right

[jmkpns]

Putting dictators into power is gaining independence?

[slimeyb]

Yes, it's looking better than when I was last there in 1990. But it's all because the destruction of the Zambian economy caused by KK is starting to repair. And because your 'competent' leaders have finally faced reality - privatization (and luckily a healthy copper price!) And also, I don't have to invest (or risk investment) to be passionate about Africa. Remember, the investment my father's generation made in Africa, that was either taken, or devalued, has made many wary to do it again.

[Tune5000]

If you do have a passion for Zambia (and i suspect you don't), we have a competent leader at the moment, go back and invest then. If you're good at farming, im sure the current govt will be more than willing to lease you the land.

Currently they are leasing the land to white Zimbabweans. If you're into manufacturing, you get 5 yrs tax free. Inflation is at 10%. It was at 30% in the previous govt and the currency has gained some value.

BTW, when was the last time you've been in Zambia???