AFRICAN LEGENDS – KENNETH KAUNDA
By Derek Mwale
Zambia has been orphaned since the passing of one man; Kenneth Kaunda the father of the nation. His death was not a sad ending but a celebration of a life well lived and a conclusion of a hero’s journey. This legend had the guts to stand up to most powerful empire of the time. Frankly, the odds were stuck against him still he persisted and succeeded. As Zambian and as an orphan I can simply see what this man left behind other than his legacy. This legend was a fashion killer with a handkerchief he often wore around his neck: It symbolized his connection to the people and his humility as a leader.
Dr Kenneth Kaunda was born in 28 April in Chinsali, Northern Rhodesia – to reverend David Kaunda and Helen Kaunda who were both teachers. Kaunda was a sucker for knowledge, always had a passion to learn more. He received his education from the Lubwa mission where his father used to work. Later on, he followed in his parents’ footsteps and worked hard on becoming a teacher. Dr Kaunda started as a boarding master; then became a teacher and then later become the headmaster at Lubwa between the period of early to mid 40s. Perhaps he took this career path because he strongly believed in the significance of education for national development.
To reach Dr. Kaunda’s level of success one must have a strong work ethic. He had other traits accompanying the aforementioned one which made him a member of the top 1 percent club. Personally, I would conclude that he even qualified for a self-made billionaire status. Trust me I know what it takes to be successful in an African country. Though been a minority in the three-comma club: before his political career took off, he used to work a day job. For some time, he also worked Salisbury and Bindura. In the late 40s, he become a teacher in Mufulira in the Copperbelt. He also became an assistant at an African Welfare Centre.
Although Dr. Kaunda had an insane work ethic, he also had some hobbies which used to compliment his goals. He was a leading pathfinder for a scout group. As a Christian he used to be a choir master at church of central Africa congregations. Though religious this guy used to be practical in the way he used to handle his business. Dr Kaunda used to strike a good but invisible balance between been nice and been assertive. I would bet he was closer to been Friedrich Nietzsche’s Übermensch. Not only because he was disciplined but he would make rational decisions that were not clouded by judgements of morality.
During this period in the late 40s Dr. Kaunda entered the spotlight; by becoming a politician and a founding member of the Northern Rhodesian African National Congress. From this moment onwards his glow only got larger such that even death can’t overshadow it. Now and then: he is famous to the level of being a household name in other countries. And his name has populated countless of history books a lot the world. Not only because of politics but Dr. Kaunda was a prolific writer who authored several books including autobiography called, “A Spectrum of Hope” which reflects on his experiences and the political landscape of Zambia.
In the early 50s, he relocated to Lusaka to take up a post as secretary general of Africa National Congress (ANC) under the leadership of Harry Nkumbula. Our legend rised through the ranks very fast. In no time he managed to become close to the president of the party. Dr Kaunda and Harry Nkumbula become partners in crime as they believed in the freedom of their people though they had little support from both the bantu people and the whites.
In the mid 50s – Dr. Kaunda and Nkumbula were imprisoned for two months with hard labour for distributing subversive literature. It’s quite evident the passion our legend had for literature such that he wanted to share with the public at any cost. Serving time in jail did not get them killed of course, it only proved to make them stronger.
Although they had a shared experience with suffering the two leaders drifted apart. This was because Nkumbula became too influenced by the white liberals leaving the Bantu people undefended. This resulted in Dr. Kaunda breaking out of the ANC later forming his own party Zambia African National Congress (ZANC) in the late 50s. During the same time period ZANC was banned and Dr Kaunda was sentenced to nine months in prison.
Dr Kaunda spent his first part of his sentence in Lusaka then Salisbury which is the modern day Harare. When Kaunda was released from jail in Janaury 1960 he was elected president of United National Independence Party (UNIP) the successor to ZANC.
After he was released the same year, he visited Dr. Martin Luther King in Atlanta USA. It may be said that Dr Kaunda’s philosophy might have coincided with one of the most notable faces of the civil rights movement. Dr Kaunda philosophy called “Zambian Humanism” revolves around the idea of promoting human dignity, social justice and national unity. The philosophy was rooted in African traditions and aimed at creating an equitable society.
Our legend might have gotten some ideas from Dr. King. Because in 1961, Dr. Kaunda organized a civil disobedience campaign called the cha-cha-cha campaign. It consisted of mainly obstructing significant roads. With him showing more action and credibility Dr. Kaunda subsequently ran as a UNIP candidate during 1962 elections. Dr. Kaunda ended up as a Minister of Local Government and Social in a UNIP-ANC coalition government.
In 1964, Dr. Kaunda became the first black prime minister of Northern Rhodesia. Then became the first president of Zambia upon gaining independence from British colonial rule. Our legend’s leadership marked the beginning of a new era for the country as he aimed at developing national identity and promote social welfare.
During Dr. Kaunda’s rule he was an advocate for African unity. He demonstrated this by supporting other African countries to gain freedom as well. He also provided asylum for Freedom Fighters from other African countries such Oliver Tambo. Our legend also played a key role in the establishment of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). He believed in the importance of solidarity among African Nations to combat colonialism and support liberation movements.
Along the years as a leader, our legend might have exercised his dark side as he faced criticism for authoritarism. He implemented a one-party state and detained several opponents. This should not be met with any mixed assessments to his legacy; as everyone has a Darkside that they often hide from the world. This was just a little bad for the greater good he has done for the African people.
Our legend was not only successful with his political career but other things as well. He was an accomplished father having eight children with Betty Banda Kaunda. He also had a long healthy life. This can be attributed to the fact that he was a strict vegetarian. In his words, ”I don’t take meat, no eggs, no chicken, I only eat vegetables like an elephant”- truly he was an African giant.
Though a Christian, his spirituality evolved to incorporate eastern religious practices. As he was friends with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who he promised land for whatever reason. And I strongly believed he unlocked the highest chakras for him to posses such inhuman levels of discipline though he was forced to deny practicing transcendental meditation live television. He was also an early advocate for environmental conservation in Africa, emphasizing the need to preserve Zambia’s natural resources as vital for the country’s future prosperity.
Our legend recently passed away on 21 June 2021 at age 97: the country declared 21 days of national mourning. Several other countries declared seven days for state mourning. Zimbabwe been the second most days with fourteen days of state mourning. And Cuba been the least with only one day of mourning. This is not a biography or political story but an article about a legend who faced adversities and managed to conquer them all through highest levels of will power and discipline. In conclusion, I will end this article with lyrics from the legend’s hit song “Tiyende pamodzi ndi mtima umo“, translation Let’s walk together with one heart.
