Kenneth Kaunda | president of Zambia | Britannica.com president of Zambia Alternative Title: Kenneth David Kaunda Kenneth Kaunda Kenneth Kaunda, in full Kenneth David Kaunda (born April 28, 1924, Lubwa, near Chinsali, Northern Rhodesia [now Zambia]), politician who led Zambia to independence in 1964 and served as that country’s president until 1991. Kenneth Kaunda. William F. Campbell—Time Life Pictures/Getty Images Early years Kaunda’s father, who was from Nyasaland (now Malawi ), was a schoolteacher; his mother, also a teacher, was the first African woman to teach in colonial Zambia. Both taught among the Bemba ethnic group in northern Zambia, where young Kaunda received his early education, completing secondary school in the early 1940s. Like the majority of Africans in colonial Zambia who achieved some measure of middle-class status, he also began to teach, first in colonial Zambia and in the middle 1940s in Tanganyika (now Tanzania ). Struggle against colonial rule Kaunda returned to Zambia in 1949.

In that year he became interpreter and adviser on African affairs to Sir Stewart Gore-Browne, a liberal white settler and a member of the Northern Rhodesian Legislative Council. Kaunda acquired knowledge of the colonial government as well as political skills, both of which served him well when later that year he joined the African National Congress (ANC), the first major anticolonial organization in Northern Rhodesia. In the early 1950s Kaunda became the ANC’s secretary-general, functioning as its chief organizing officer, a role that brought him into close contact with the movement’s rank and file. Thus, when the leadership of the ANC clashed over strategy in 1958–59, Kaunda carried a major part of the ANC operating structure into a new organization, the Zambia African National Congress. Kaunda became president of the new organization and skillfully used it to forge a militant policy against the British plan for a federation of the three central African colonies—Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia, and Nyasaland. African leaders opposed and feared any such federation because it would tend to place ultimate power in the hands of a white minority of settlers.

Kaunda employed the Zambia congress as an instrument for executing what he called “positive nonviolent action,” a form of civil disobedience against the federation policy. His campaign had two major results: first, the British government modified the federation policy and eventually agreed to discard it; second, the imprisonment of Kaunda and other militant leaders elevated them to the status of national heroes in the eyes of the people. Thus, from 1960 on, the nationwide support of Zambia’s independence movement was secured, as was too the dominant status of Kenneth Kaunda in that movement. Britannica Stories Big Radio Burst from Tiny Galaxy Kaunda was released from prison by the colonial government on Jan. 8, 1960. At the end of that month he was elected president of the United National Independence Party (UNIP), which had been formed in October 1959 by Mainza Chona, a militant nationalist who was disenchanted with the older ANC. The UNIP enjoyed a spectacular growth, claiming 300,000 members by June 1960.

In December 1960 the British colonial authorities invited Kaunda and several other UNIP leaders to participate in discussions on the status of the three colonies at a conference in London. Early in the following year the British government announced that formal decolonization of Zambia would commence. The first major elections leading to final decolonization were held in October 1962. The constitutional proposals upon which the election was based provided the European settlers in Northern Rhodesia with a disproportionate share of the votes. Yet the two major African parties—the UNIP and ANC—gained a majority of the votes. The UNIP was the winner, gaining 15 of the 37 seats in the new Legislative Council. The UNIP’s success was attributed overwhelmingly to the leadership of Kaunda. He had been astute both in allaying the European settlers’ fears that an African regime would unfairly disregard their interests and in quelling the factionalism prevalent in large sections of the country’s African population. It was this same skill that enabled Kaunda to negotiate further constitutional advances, and in 1964 Zambia was granted independence with Kaunda as its president. President of Zambia Structures of Government: Fact or Fiction?

Like other African leaders, Kaunda faced many complex postindependence problems, especially the issue of tribalism. He succeeded in continuing to negotiate on this issue, saving Zambia the trauma of tribal civil war. Nevertheless, interparty political violence occurred during the elections of 1968, in which Kaunda and his party were returned to power. In response, Kaunda in 1972 imposed one-party rule on Zambia, and in 1973 he introduced a new constitution that ensured his party’s uncontested rule. In the 1970s Kaunda’s government acquired a majority interest in the country’s copper-mining operations and undertook to manage other industries as well. While investing large sums in the mining sector, the government neglected agriculture while nevertheless having to spend increasing sums on subsidized food for the urban poor. These policies reduced agricultural production and increased Zambia’s dependence on exports of copper and on foreign loans and aid. From the 1970s on, the result of these policies was the progressive impoverishment of Zambia; unemployment rose, living standards steadily declined, and the provision of education and other social services decayed.

In foreign affairs , Kaunda led other countries of southern Africa in confronting the white-minority governments of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe ) and South Africa . He imposed economic sanctions against Rhodesia in the 1970s at great cost to his country’s own economy, and in the late 1970s he allowed Zambia to be used as a base by black nationalist guerrillas led by Joshua Nkomo . Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies In 1976 Kaunda assumed emergency powers, and he was reelected as president in one-candidate elections in 1978 and 1983. Several attempted coups against him in the early 1980s were squelched. The Zambian economy continued to deteriorate owing to a fall in the world price of copper (Zambia’s chief export), the rising price of oil (its chief import), the withdrawal of foreign aid and investment by developed countries, and worsening corruption within Kaunda’s government.

With public dissatisfaction mounting and a credible political opposition in the process of formation, Kaunda in 1990 legalized opposition parties and set the stage for free, multiparty elections in 1991. In the elections, held late that year, Kaunda and the UNIP were defeated by the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) in a landslide. Kaunda’s successor, Frederick Chiluba , took office on Nov. 2, 1991. After the presidency After leaving office, Kaunda clashed frequently with Chiluba’s government and the MMD. He planned to run against Chiluba in the 1996 presidential election but was barred from doing so after constitutional amendments were passed that made him ineligible. On Dec. 25, 1997, Kaunda was arrested on charges of inciting an attempted coup that had occurred earlier that year in October. He was released six days later, but he was placed under house arrest until all charges were withdrawn in June 1998. The next month, Kaunda announced that he would resign from his role as UNIP’s president once a successor was chosen.

However, the lack of agreement regarding his successor caused a rift within the UNIP, and ultimately Kaunda did not resign until 2000. In March 1999 a judge ruled that Kaunda should be stripped of his Zambian citizenship because his parents were from Malawi and furthermore, because of that fact, Kaunda had held office illegally for most of his period in government. Kaunda mounted a challenge, and his citizenship was restored the next year when the petition that generated the court ruling was withdrawn. Connect with Britannica Kenneth David Kaunda biography, birth date, birth place and pictures Kenneth David Kaunda biography Credited as : Politician, first President of Zambia, 6 votes so far Kenneth David Kaunda, 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. Kenneth David Kaunda was born on April 28, 1924, at Lubwa Mission near Chinsali in Northern Rhodesia.

His father was a minister and teacher who had left Nyasaland (now Malawi) in 1904, and his mother was the first African woman to teach in colonial Zambia. After completing his education in the early 1940s, Kaunda began teaching at Lubwa in 1943 and was headmaster there as well from 1944 to 1947. Then he moved to the copper mining area, where he founded a farmers' cooperative, was a mine welfare officer (1948), and became a boarding master at Mufulira Upper School from 1948 to 1949. The urbanized copper area was a natural setting for African nationalism. 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. When civil disorder led to banning of this party, Kaunda was jailed for a period of nine months. On his release he became president of the new United National Independence party in 1960. On Oct. 30, 1962, he was elected to the Legislative Council. He formed a coalition government with Nkumbula's ANC and served as minister of local government and social welfare in 1962. 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. After independence, Kaunda made agreements with mining companies over copper royalties. He also had to deal with uprisings of the Lumpa religious sect under self-styled prophetess Alice Lenshina.

His relations with neighboring white-ruled Rhodesia were unstable after the latter's 1965 illegal break with Britain, but he resisted those within and without his government who urged military action. Instead, Kaunda sought aid for a rail line to a Tanzanian port. This would offer an alternate route for landlocked Zambia's copper that prior to the rail line had to be exported through Rhodesia. These tensions heightened tribal differences and encouraged Kaunda's socialist leanings. 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.

Kenneth Kaunda retired from office in 1991 when Frederick Chiluba came to power in the first multiparty election in Zambia following the legalization of opposition parties in 1990. He moved to London where he continued to be concerned with the policies and programs of his native country. Zambia: Grading Zambia's Presidents - Kenneth Kaunda - allAfrica.com Zambia: Grading Zambia's Presidents - Kenneth Kaunda opinion By Reasonata Faced with the current state of our economy there is need to reflect on what has gone wrong to our promising young nation. A nation that was fourth richest in Africa at the time of independence in 1964. With a per capital income higher than South Korea. The answer lies on who took over the mantle of leadership in our country in these intervening years. One cannot separate political philosophy and economic policies the two are intertwined. In the next series I would like to share with you my in depth analysis of the leadership qualities of all our presidents from time of independence to this day and how this impacted on the economy. We start off with our founding father: Dr Kenneth David Kaunda.

Dr Kenneth David Kaunda, President 1964-1991 KK was the first president of Zambia at her independence in 1964. He had the good fortune of inheriting a very strong economy, regarded as rated the fourth richest country in Africa. By the time he left power 27 years later, the country was the fourth poorest in the Africa. Zambia had the ignominy of having the highest debt per capita in the whole world at the end of KK's rule. So what went wrong? At the height of the Cold War in 1968, Kenneth Kaunda made a historic speech at Mulungushi declaring Zambia to be a "socialist state." In line with the popular ideology that existed in Africa and eastern parts of Europe at that time, KK nationalised 80% of the economy, sweeping up everything from mines to agriculture to even controlling buses and taxis. He made these sweeping changes to the nation on a whim, passing the decision to convert Zambia to a socialist model without cabinet approval or a parliamentary mandate. Fall of the economy By the late-1980s, Zambia's economy was suffering greatly, with shortages of many basic products leading to increasing political tensions.

Industrial production had plummeted, and copper production hit all time lows against worldwide low prices for the national commodity, falling from the second highest producer in the world at 700,000 metric tonnes a year to 250,000 tonnes. Employment figures by the time KK left office had gone below the 300,000 mark from 450,000 at time of independence. To compound the problem, population on the other hand had doubled from 4 million to 8 million. This development, as one would expect, resulted in major social problems in the country. Analysts recently pointed out that the opportunity costs of nationalisation (money lost) was in the region of $46 billion - resources that should have circulated in the economy for the benefit of us all had we taken the right route. Hypocritical support It is not surprising that up to today, KK still commands popular support in our country. This can only come about if one suspends faculties in ethical and critical thinking areas. The supporters tend to point out that KK introduced a university and free education. But look at the figures at primary education, where education mattered most.

At grade seven level an average of 135,000 pupils used to sit for examinations to proceed to secondary school. Only 35,000 were accepted and 100,000 thrown into the streets at such a tender age of 12. This was due to inadequate school places. And this sad state of affairs went on for 27 years, producing an army of close to 3 million uneducated youths in the streets, representing almost 50% of the population by 1991. KK did not build any schools until the World Bank came to our rescue in mid 80s and constructed a few schools countrywide. So the question is, given these alarming figures of dropouts at this tender stage of human development, was building a university actually a priority in our country? A gross miscalculation of an educational policy that only appealed to the "ME" Factor syndrome. The Parastatals who occupied 80% of the economy used to contribute only 20% to the nations tax coffers. It was the much despised private sector that used to contribute 80% to our income.

A stark reminder to KK's supporters and those people clamouring for a return to the fictitious "glory days" .To the people that give unqualified support for KK, I pose this question: "What is more dehumanising? Lack of political freedom or poverty?" Personal management style of KK Any observer can conclude that Kaunda was a complete joke in terms of his ability to manage the economy. In 1980, the Economist magazine equated his managerial skills to that of a conductor in an orchestra. At the slightest sound of good music cabinet posts were moved around like musical chairs: "Play good music, and you're promoted! - from teaching to finance minister". He basically toyed with the economy. We lost count how many times the economy was controlled and decontrolled. At one time after cancellation of auctioning in 1986 the Kwacha exchange rate was actually announced from state house! In yet another unprecedented act of folly, KK commandeered the only DC10 Zambia Airways had for a staggering 40-day government trip to the Iron Curtain-paradise of Yugoslavia. The plane remained rooted at Belgrade airport for the entire duration of the trip.

KK took with him 40 party cadres for a trip that would be a contender in the Guinness book of records as the worst abuse of public resources. Zambia was by now a pariah economy in the eyes of the international community, suspended from all international financial institutions. But Kaunda wasn't yet finished hurting Zambia. Kaunda's Darkest Moments By the time KK was forced out of office by the Movement for Multiparty Democracy, the economy had all but collapsed. The rural areas bore the blunt of his misrule. Rural areas endured more than 15 years of severe shortages of essential commodities. There was no marked distinction in living standards with early man as things like soap, salt, basic clothing, were completely absent for many years. Inflation reached dizzy heights of 400% during his rule. Cumulatively the Kwacha lost more than 10,000% of its original value of one Kwacha to a pound at the time of independence. It was during these difficult times that many Zambians got to know Kaunda as a ruthless authoritarian. He had ceremoniously declared opposition parties to be illegal all the way back in 1968, leaving very little room for competition.

Those who disagreed with him felt immediate consequences - more than 1,000 political prisoners were locked up during his reign, held without trial in dismal prisons. Other times, violence was used to maintain order. For example, Kaunda ordered the army to slaughter a religious sect led by Lenshina in Northern Province, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people, merely because the group had refused to recognise his presidency in 1964. A number of political opponents also met mysterious deaths including a high ranking church leader. The army was also ordered once again to slaughter poor Zambians who wanted to sell mealie-meal (smugglers) to their brothers in Congo. A show of force by KK to mask shortages of mealie meal caused by his own disastrous agriculture policies. Estimated deaths more than 100 poor villagers were shot in cold blood along the border areas with Congo... Where did Kaunda come from? All this evil emanated from a man we Zambians warmly welcomed from outside our country. For keen historians, Kaunda's birth place remains a mystery to many. There is no one in the country who can attest meeting young Kenneth at Primary school level or at any Secondary school in Zambia.

The "Munali secondary school claim" by KK has been dismissed by all who attended that school during that period. But People remember him as a teacher in Mufulira. And that KKs father who had come earlier from Malawi was a missionary at Lubwa mission. Young Kenneth like many youthful Malawians in search of greener pastures, the region was borderless at that time, sneaked into the country as a young adult following his father's footstep. And the rest is history... Copyright © 2014 Zambia Reports. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media ( allAfrica.com ). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. AllAfrica publishes around 700 reports a day from more than 140 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . Zambians Mourn Death of Former First Lady Betty Kaunda Zambians Mourn Death of Former First Lady Betty Kaunda September 20, 2012 2:27 AM James Butty Email to a Friend Print Zambia is mourning the death of Betty Kaunda, wife of the country’s founding president, Kenneth Kaunda, who died early Wednesday in Zimbabwe while visiting her daughter. The former first lady is viewed as the mother of the nation and the strength of her husband, who played a leading role during Africa’s liberation struggle. Kaunda was 84.

Zambia’s minister for foreign affairs and tourism, Given Lubinda, President Michael Sata and the people of Zambia are shocked and saddened by the death of the woman known by most Zambians as “Mama Kaunda.” “The Zambian people and the government of Zambia received the information about the passing of the former first lady, Mama Betty Kaunda, with a great sense of shock because the last time Mama Betty Kaunda appeared in public in the company of her husband, she looked well and happy with her usual smile. Mrs. Betty Kaunda is considered by all Zambians as a mother of the nation, and the country at the moment is engulfed in a sense of grief,” he said. Lubinda said Kaunda’s popularity even in death, and nearly 21 years since her husband left power, is symptomatic of the kind of humble life she led. “People in Zambia remember very well the painful experience that Mrs. Kaunda underwent in 1990 after Frederick Chiluba became the second Republican president. President Kenneth Kaunda was humiliated, together with his family, and yet Madam Betty Kaunda handled everything with such a sense of responsibility and so much grace. Even after Dr.

Kaunda was imprisoned by Frederick Chiluba during Christmas, Madam Betty Kaunda never said any word disparaging President Chiluba and his government,” he said. He said the late former first lady is also being mourned by many Zambians because in life they consider her as a fountain of hope and inspiration. Mrs. Kaunda’s husband, the first president of Zambia, contributed greatly towards the liberation of Zambia and the southern African region as a whole. Kenneth Kaunda, the first president of Zambia | African Heritage Posted by: Dr. Y. | September 18, 2010 Kenneth Kaunda, the first president of Zambia Kenneth Kaunda Affectionately known as KK, Kenneth Kaunda was the first president of Zambia. Kenneth Kaunda with Nelson Mandela While president of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda nationalized the copper mines, and also worked towards freeing all the Black people of Southern Africa from white supremacy. He supported freedom fighters in the Portuguese colonies of Angola and Mozambique, in Southern Rhodesia (today’s Zimbabwe), Namibia, and South Africa. He even met with Pieter Botha and B.J. Vorster to solve the issue of apartheid in South Africa, but got no results.

Being so close to all these countries and seeing what his fellow brothers were going through made him want to fight. He played a crucial part in the liberation of all of southern Africa from white supremacy. Zambia paid a price for its backing of those countries by being bombed by the Apartheid government. KK on a Zambian currency note One thing I remember clearly is the day KK went on national television to sensibilize the Zambian people about the danger of AIDS. He had just lost his son to AIDS, and he was on tears, and urged the people of Zambia to take precautions. I was impressed! How many presidents do you see doing that? or at least how many African presidents do that? Please enjoy this interview given by Kenneth Kaunda to CNN African voices. One other special plus… Kenneth Kaunda is a great singer! Don’t forget to watch Part 2 and 3 of the interview. Share this: President Kenneth Kaunda posted on 06:24 with 0 comments One of the greatest opportunities for creating jobs for both skilled and unskilled labor, gumboots to crocodile skin shoe-wearing workers, blue collar to white collar, exists in the manufacturing industries.

At independence, Zambia had nothing, Southern Rhodesia had everything. Zambia was moving towards a more diversified economy during Dr Kaunda’s presidency than now when we are importing carrots and potato chips. Admittedly, poor management practice and government meddling amongst other reasons resulted in these organizations becoming unprofitable. The formal sector has shrunk so much that the viable tax base cannot sustain the national budget. Many people are now in the informal sector and it is not easy to collect tax in this area. It is clear therefore that we need to grow the formal employment sector. One of the things we need to seriously consider is to empower individuals in the same informal sector. For example, I think we should move the industrious people making furniture by the roadside in our cities, provide capital and help them establish proper factories with them as major shareholders. Government, perhaps through the Zambia Development Agency, would initially provide management expertise, training and ensure quality improvement and consistency. Management would be continuously scrutinized to prevent corruption and uphold worker participation in decision-making. Over a period of time, these shareholders can take full control of their operations and payback whatever resources provided during start-up. There is a huge market for these people in our major stores currently flooded with imported furniture.

Similarly, rather than giving unproductive loans to individual marketeers, let us have a pilot program where our women vegetable marketeers are as a group of shareholders, like the above furniture manufacturers, helped to establish Vegetable Supermarkets. In the end, some of them would become purchasing managers sourcing produce from farmers. They would be trained in various professions like accountancy, human resources, logistics, etc. They might in the future even expand their operations where they have subsidiary companies growing their own produce, processing it and perhaps, even exporting! This could be done for our people in various trades such as those who make steel gates, door frames and window frames. This moves them from the informal to formal sector and thus make a positive effect on the country’s GDP and tax base. Posted by Wynegood Malunga at 06:24 posted on 02:24 with 0 comments The following article on Nelson Mandela by our beloved Dr. Kenneth Kaunda published under KK's Diary in the Post Newspaper on November 13 2005:- Nelson Mandela By Dr Kenneth Kaunda: Sunday November 13, 2005 THE name Nelson Mandela is considered a symbol of the struggle against apartheid in South Africa.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela’s life is linked to the story of the ANC. Mandela is linked to the history of southern Africa, Africa, and the world. In turn, events in the region and other parts of the world have affected Nelson Mandela’s life. Nelson Mandela and Oliver Reginald Tambo were for a long time the closest of friends in the struggle. While Oliver Tambo, also knows as “OR,‿ was born in 1917, Nelson Mandela was born in July 1918. They were quite close in ideals. Together, they had been expelled from Fort Hare University for student protest. Together, they were partners in a law firm. In the early 1940s, they had been involved in setting up the Youth League of the ANC. With the 1948 official coming into force of the National Party’s government system of the official racism of “apartheid,‿ these were difficult times. The apartheid regime stood for something vicious and disastrous. They would use force to maintain the evil system. Nelson Mandela and “OR‿ worked closely with the great ANC president Chief Albert Luthuli.

Together with Walter Sisulu and committed men and women of South Africa, Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo intensified the struggle against apartheid. Theirs was a struggle that had continued over hundreds of years. For Africa, just as apartheid produced great events all over southern Africa, the struggle produced great leaders. These are leaders by world standards. We had heard about Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, and their efforts in South Africa. The early 1960s were a busy and eventful period for Africa. Most of Africa was in intensive struggle for freedom and preparing for independence from colonial rulers. At Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, I met Nelson Mandela. It should have been in December 1961. Addis Ababa was establishing itself as a centre for support to Africa’s freedom fighters. Preparations were being made for the formation of the Organisation of African Unity, OAU. Nelson Mandela was around Addis Ababa with Oliver Tambo. While Nelson had left South Africa for the conference unofficially, Oliver was in Ghana, living in exile. Nelson Mandela was young and handsome looking. On our first personal meeting, I could see that Nelson Mandela was a committed fighter for freedom. You could see the clear determination in him.

At the same time, he gave respect to other people. He respected fellow freedom fighters from other countries. From the beginning, Nelson Mandela and I got on very well. Nelson asked me for our party UNIP to assist ANC. We were not in government then. We were Zambia’s government in waiting. Nelson Mandela knew that we, as UNIP, had made commitment to support neighbouring freedom fighters at the time we would become independent. Remember that the African freedom parties had a sense of common affinity. We had African National Congress in various countries. We had ANC of Northern Rhodesia, ANC of Southern Rhodesia, and the Congress Party in Malawi. We sang common anthems based on the great Nkosi Sikelelie Africa. We were thus supportive of each other’s struggles. We even collaborated as networks. In Addis Ababa, at the time I met Nelson Mandela, we were still willing to support our brothers and sisters in neighbouring countries. It was a common struggle. But when Nelson Mandela asked for assistance, we were then not in a position to give material and financial support to the ANC. I asked Nelson Mandela to speak with Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe, the UNIP treasurer.

In Addis Ababa, Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo did a lot to sensitise Africa’s leaders on the situation in South Africa. He explained the use of force by the ruling regime. This was just a year after the brutal events of Sharpeville, where non-violent black protestors were gunned down. Due to the regime’s violence, ANC was changing approach. The militant wing Umkhonto we Swize was formed. In Addis Ababa, through Nelson and Oliver, many people understood more the situation of South Africa. After Addis Ababa, Nelson Mandela toured other African countries, sharing the message of the struggle and seeking support. He also underwent military training and preparations that would help him in organising Umkhoto we Sizwe. Later, he went back to South Africa. Oliver Tambo stayed outside as he was living in exile, having in 1960 been banned by the South African regime. Oliver Tambo was concentrating on establishing, in exile, ANC as an effective and internationally supported movement. When Nelson Mandela went back and sneaked into South Africa, he was arrested. He was given a five-year sentence for leaving South Africa without a permit. Together with others, Nelson Mandela was involved in the Rivonia trial.

Being principled, he used the court to explain the ANC ideals, ideals dealing with human dignity for all people. He explained how the ANC’s non-violence struggle against apartheid and injustice was met with violence and force by the apartheid regime. ANC would use force but not hurt innocent people. “I have fought against white domination,‿ Nelson told the court, “and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.‿ “It is an ideal,‿ Nelson Mandela proclaimed, “which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.‿ Nelson Mandela’s words summarised the struggle against racism and injustice in Africa. It summarises the ANC position and the path it took over the years. That path is what we in Zambia, before and after our independence in 1964, greatly supported. At Rivonia, Nelson Mandela and his comrades were sentenced to life imprisonment. That took Nelson to harsh places like Robben Island. Meanwhile, Oliver Tambo, in exile, continued to build the ANC machinery.

The ANC used Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment as a rallying point for the struggle against apartheid. Nelson Mandela became, worldwide, a symbol of the struggle. In Addis Ababa, I could not know that Nelson Mandela would be in prison, in fact be in there for a very long time. I must reveal to you, my dear reader and friend, that when Nelson Mandela and comrades were in prison, my fear was that the regime might terminate them. I really feared for their lives. The regime used force and was ruthless. This concern and anxiety in me went on for decades. I did not know when the apartheid rulers would stop fearing the influence of Nelson Mandela and his comrades. They could harm him as an easier way, for them, of reducing that influence and the inevitable change required in South Africa. I knew the regime was physically vicious. In 1957, on the way to Ghana’s independence, I had to pass through Johannesburg airport. I found many police dogs at that airport. Each way I looked, I saw a big dog. I had nothing to hide as I passed through the airport. I did not carry a thing like a revolver that I needed to hide. In fact, I have never touched a revolver.

But Johannesburg airport was unfriendly and very hostile. There was a clear atmosphere of a vicious police state. So I feared for the lives of Nelson Mandela and our comrades. In fact, this concern was proved by the death in prison of young Steve Biko and other freedom fighters. With Nelson Mandela a focal point, we supported the ANC and the struggle of South Africa’s people. Zambia was then surrounded by other countries under colonial or racist rule. Angola and Mozambique were under the Portuguese. British-ruled Southern Rhodesia, later “Zimbabwe‿, had been taken over by a group of European settlers under Ian Douglas Smith. This had been in November 1965 through the Unilateral Declaration of Independence, UDI. Also on our borders was Namibia, then under the rule of apartheid South Africa. The struggles of the various groups were related. Often, the forces ruling the regimes worked together to suppress and kill people fighting for freedom. We were faced by a common oppression that faced people, in various countries, fighting for a common struggle for justice. With our independence in Zambia, ANC and other liberation movements moved from Tanzania, where my brother Julius Nyerere and the people of Tanzania hosted them, to Lusaka.

In Zambia, we took upon ourselves, as a principle, to support ANC and freedom movement in southern Africa. It was not motivated by any profit for ourselves. We believed, like Nelson Mandela, in a society where “all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.‿ Our struggle was not against white people. It was against practices and systems of racism. We believed in the Commandments of loving God with all ones strength, and loving your neighbour as we love ourselves. In Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela, we also found people who did not believe in hatred but love for fellow human beings of whatever colour. We had a common cause. Because of this principle based on love, we had,worldwide support. We had support from international organisations, governments, civil society organisations, churches, and individuals in various parts of the world. We used various ways to support the ANC. We canvassed, as a team of three governments called the Mulungushi Club and composed of Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, for international action against apartheid. The Mulungushi Club later, as more countries became independent, became the Frontline States.

We used the OAU, Commonwealth Group of Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, all networks I chaired at some time, to internationalise the fight against racism and apartheid. We worked closely with the United Nations. There were also other solidarity organisations we worked with. Through international action, various sanctions were sought and imposed on South Africa and the racist regimes of southern Africa. We called for economic, social, cultural, and sports sanctions against South Africa. Our interest was to use diplomacy to avoid bloodshed. I was also at times forced, in order to move forward, to meet rulers of the racist and apartheid regimes. I believed in dialogue. I believed we could avoid a big conflagration threatening southern Africa because of racism. Even now, I believe in non-violence as the ideal method of action. Because we believed, like with other neighbouring liberation movements, in South Africa’s freedom fight, we had to support ANC in effective ways. I regarded the leaders of the movements as people denied leadership of states. I treated them as heads of states. Most of the leaders of freedom movements thus lived or were kept where I lived, at State House. Because of the various forces at play, I knew that South Africa would take longer to be free.

So we got ANC president Oliver Tambo to have his own house within the State House presidents. There, comrades like Thabo Mbeki would visit him. Diplomats from various parts of the world would visit him at State House. We considered Lusaka a home for Oliver Tambo and ANC. From Lusaka, we continued to support the advance of ANC towards the liberation of South Africa. Following the death of Chief Albert Luthuli in 1967, Oliver Tambo had became ANC president. The role involved a lot of organisation and campaigning. ANC had its base in Lusaka. But Oliver Tambo had to sell the ANC ideals all over the world. There was support coming in from all over the world. People all over the world began to know about Nelson Mandela and the struggle in South Africa. In all this, I never imposed myself on Oliver Tambo and the ANC. They understood their situation better. They made their plans and asked us to support them where we could. We were just partners supporting our brothers and sisters in a common, just struggle. We did not control the liberation movements. At the same time, Zambia’s people greatly supported the liberation struggle.

We would not have successfully continued support for ANC and our colleagues if the people of Zambia were not in support. For many people, Nelson Mandela was constantly in mind. People in fields like the arts, through music and drama, did a lot on the situation of Nelson Mandela and South Africa. People in sports acted against apartheid. People all over the world protested against products and trade linked to South Africa. Of course, there were some people, governments, and organisations that supported apartheid. They ignored the work and ideals of Nelson Mandela. For many people, Nelson Mandela was a great symbol of the suppression done against Africa’s people. He was a symbol of hope. If Nelson Mandela and colleagues would be released, it would be a symbol of Africa and the world’s triumph over racism and artificial division. To this ideal, we supported ANC in the release of Nelson Mandela. We believed South Africa could change and be known as a great country for all people. I will share with you my role, challenges, and experience in the release of Nelson Mandela. posted on 10:37 with 0 comments Today is a sad day for me, for Zambians and for all the people of the world.

We have lost one of the greatest sons of Africa, and the world is poorer for it. When Mandela left South Africa for the first time after 27 years of incarceration, I was delighted and honoured that his first destination outside of South Africa was to Zambia. It is was a privilege to welcome home a brother I had last seen free in 1962 on his last trip outside of South Africa. At our subsequent meeting in Ethiopia, he and OR Tambo had come to brief us on the ANC’s plans to escalate the struggle for independence, where OR was to lead the struggle from the international front, while Mandela was to lead the domestic struggle. When I saw him again on this joyous occasion in 1991 I told him that the people of Africa were waiting for him to take up the last mile of the struggle for Africa. Former Zambia president Kenneth Kaunda hospitalised | News | Africa | M&G Former Zambia president Kenneth Kaunda hospitalised Zambia's founding father and former president Kenneth Kaunda was taken to hospital on Sunday. (Gallo) Zambia's founding father and former president Kenneth Kaunda was taken to hospital on Sunday, but is said to be in good spirits, the government said.

President Michael Sata visited his predecessor in a Lusaka hospital, where 89-year-old Kaunda is reportedly being treated for fatigue. Images released by the Zambian government showed Kaunda standing and smiling while receiving guests including Sata. "The first lady and I have just returned from Lusaka Trust Hospital where we went to visit our founding president Dr Kenneth David Kaunda," Sata said in a statement after the visit. "We were happy to find KK in high spirits. Get well soon." Kaunda ruled Zambia for 27 years from independence in 1964. While in power he hosted many of the movements fighting for independence or black equality in other countries around the region, including South Africa's African National Congress. Increasingly autocratic Initially a popular leader, he became increasingly autocratic, but eventually ceded power in the first multi-party elections in 1991. Later in life he regained stature as one of Africa's political giants, helping mediate crises in Zimbabwe and Kenya. Kaunda also became an Aids campaigner, announcing publicly one of his sons had died from the illness. Last December he charmed mourners at Nelson Mandela's burial.

When organisers attempted to usher him away from the podium after he ran over his allotted time, he drew laughs by saying they were "trying to control an old man who fought the boers". – Sapa-AFP BBC ON THIS DAY | 25 | 1964: President Kaunda takes power in Zambia 1964: President Kaunda takes power in Zambia Zambia has become the ninth African state to gain independence from the British crown. The former colony of Northern Rhodesia - part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland since 1953 - celebrated with a ceremony at the Independence Stadium in the capital, Lusaka, as a huge copper torch was lit on a hill overlooking the city. The new president of the country, Kenneth Kaunda, was given the Instruments of Independence by the Queen's representative, the Princess Royal. Thousands of people shouted "Kwatcha" - meaning the Dawn - as they watched the red, black, green and orange colours of the Zambian Republic's flag replace the British Union Jack to mark the official changeover at midnight. Princess Mary read a personal message the Queen as the UK welcomed the newest member of its Commonwealth.

Kaunda's vision President Kaunda - the only candidate in the August elections - has given his first news conference since taking office. He spoke of the new republic's "task of building a nation founded on respect for all people of all races, all colours and all religions". And he told journalists Zambia would support Britain if neighbouring Rhodesia - formerly Southern Rhodesia - made a unilateral declaration of independence. "That declaration would meet resistance from all over the world and would not last," he said. The son of a Church of Scotland minister, Dr Kaunda, 40, has a reputation as a moderate and reasonable man, opposed to violence. He supports the preservation of 10 of the 73 seats in parliament for the Europeans, for at least the next four years. He hopes this will reassure the community of 70,000 Europeans in Zambia, most of whom work in the Copper Belt near the border with Congo and are of great economic importance to the country. Many have already left for South Africa fearing increased African resentment against them. One of Dr Kaunda's first acts as head of state was to release 200 "freedom fighters" jailed for sedition by the colonial administration.

He has also sent letters to the South African Prime Minister asking for African leaders, including Nelson Mandela, to be imprisoned in Zambia rather than their homeland. Lusaka is currently home to the headquarters of 15 African freedom movements, including Zanu and Zapu from Rhodesia.

Question: Kenneth Kaunda was the first president of which African country?
Answer: Zambia