Late Zambian president Kuanda was a deep thinker, says CPP

Zambia’s first president, Kenneth Kaunda died in Lusaka on 17 June 2021 after suffering from pneumonia

The Convention People’s Party (CPP) has described the late president of Zambia, Kenneth David Kaunda, as a deep thinker, who served his people selflessly till his death.

The CPP said the late Kaunda was a committed freedom fighter, who contributed greatly to free the entire continent of Africa from colonial rule.

Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, the 2020 flagbearer of the CPP, in a tribute, said the late Kaunda was the last iconic African leader, who fought for the liberation of the continent together with Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Samora Machel, Jomo Kenyatta, Patrick Lumumba, Robert Mugabe, Nelson Mandela and Sekou Toure.

Greenstreet was speaking at a photo exhibition and eulogy organised by the CPP in celebration of the late Kaunda, the last leader of Africa’s liberation era and founding president of Zambia.

The late Zambian leader was born on 28 April 1924 at Lubwa Mission Bear Chinsali in Northern Rhodesia.

He helped to establish the African National Congress (ANC), the first major anti-colonial organisation in Northern Rhodesia and was its Secretary-General from 1953 to 1958 under the ANC President Harry Nkrumbula.

Committed to his non-violent principles of India’s Mahatma Gandhi, he broke with Nkrumbula and became the President of the Zambia African National Union from 1958 through 1959.

When civil disorder led to the banning of this party, Kaunda was jailed for nine months and on his release, became the president of the new United National Independence Party in 1960.

On 30 October 1962, he was elected to the Legislative Council, where he formed a coalition government with Nkrumbula’s ANC and served as a Minister of Local Government and Social Welfare in 1962.

In October 1964, the new nation of Zambia was born, with the late Dr Kaunda as its president.

Greenstreet noted that the activities of Dr Kaunda and his liberation fighters were towards the improvement and betterment of their nations.

“They were real individuals who came not to serve themselves but to serve the interest and wellbeing of the society and their nation,” he added.

The 2020 CPP flagbearer said one could draw inspiration from their activities and conduct, which was the type of inspiration the current crop of African leaders needed to guide in the service of the people.

Nana Akosua Frimpomaa, the CPP chairperson, said Dr Nkrumah once said: “The Independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked with the total liberation of the African continent.”

She said the inspiration in that statement connected the CPP to Dr Kaunda, one of the last of a generation of African liberation leaders.

Nana Frimpomaa said it seemed that with the departure of the last of the freedom fighters, achieving the total liberation of Africa was well and truly cut out for the Continent.

 She said the continent must ensure a new awakening in themselves and the younger generation with the goal of leading them to achieve intellectual maturity, by thinking for themselves to improve their lot.

Dishon Mambne, first secretary, Political and Administration, Zambian High Commission, commended the leadership of the CPP for the love shown to the founding father of Zambia.

Mambnes said for the continent to honour his legacy “we need to do exactly what he did with his colleagues in the liberation fight.”

 He said the liberation was to work in unity to make the continent free. 

source: asaaseradio