Zambia's last hero standing – Kaunda at 90 | Str8Talk Chronicle
Zambia's former President Kenneth Kaunda turned 90 on 28 April. The celebrations went well and the nation united in giving the former freedom fighter an occasion to remember. But still, there were people who ran against the grain by calling for a wider scrutiny of his legacy.
By Annissa Haddadi New Africa MagazineNews July 2nd 2014
Former President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia
A lavish banquet, an interdenominational thanksgiving service, a golf tournament featuring the country's corporate elite, a football match of Zambia's stars of yesteryear, numerous gift-delivering delegations and countless messages of goodwill from home and abroad is how Kaunda celebrated his 90th birthday – and perfectly so.
The chain of festivities carried on for weeks. His only regret was that he was without Betty, his wife of 66 years who died in September 2012. Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, the government, the nation and the outside world represented by their diplomats provided the nonagenarian with the much-needed company to toast this remarkable milestone.
Kaunda has seen it all. He is one of a few of Africa's liberation heroes left standing. Born of missionary parents who migrated from Malawi and settled in northern Zambia, he quit his teaching profession to participate in the liberation of the country and the continent. After a protracted struggle, which took him to prison, he became president of Zambia at the young age of 40 in 1964 and ruled the country for 27 years.
Widely credited for guiding and holding the nation together in its formative stages and amid its vast ethnic diversity, Kaunda stands tall and his place in history is more than guaranteed. Being the leader of a country surrounded by yet-to-be independent states meant Zambia under his leadership had to play a crucial role in assisting other countries. The tough decisions his government made in that regard are attributed to his courage and willingness to sacrifice for others.
For that reason, Kaunda is not only a hero. At one of the birthday functions, Vice President Guy Scott narrated the trouble he had passing through Johannesburg airport with Kaunda when they went to attend Mandela's funeral. At every point, Scott said, people wanted to stop and greet Kaunda. Zambians who travel abroad have their own experiences of being reminded by their hosts of the good things Kaunda did for their countries.
Kaunda is widely credited for guiding and holding the nation together in its formative stages
His first 10 years after leaving office were awful. An attempted political comeback in 1996 went badly, after the government put a discriminatory clause in the constitution barring people with foreign parentage from contesting the presidency. In protest, his United National Independence Party (UNIP) boycotted the general election that year and that is widely believed to have been a huge political misjudgement that has thrown the party into extinction.
In August 1997 he was nearly killed when police opened fire and a bullet hit his head at an opposition rally he was due to address in the town of Kabwe, north of the capital, Lusaka. The same year, he was arrested after being accused of coup plotting. Julius Nyerere flew into Lusaka to negotiate his freedom and pressure from other elders on the continent forced the government to release Kaunda.
Further, in what was interpreted as sheer political vindictiveness, the government of Frederick Chiluba declared Kaunda 'stateless', threatening him with deportation. But this move embarrassed the government rather than Kaunda, given his profile as a respected statesman. It was Chiluba's successor, Levy Mwanawasa, who brought Kaunda in from the cold.
At 90, Kaunda has showed no signs of slowing down. He has dedicated his time to humanitarian causes such as HIV/Aids, children and homelessness, appearing at many events locally and abroad, in addition to being the government's special envoy.
A vegetarian since 1953, he occasionally plays golf and his love for the guitar is undiminished, mesmerising audiences with his tunes.
Since leaving office over two decades ago, Kaunda has generally shied away from discussing his legacy. Insiders say his memoirs are being worked on. As and when they are published, it would be interesting to know what reflections he offers on his experience on the stage.
The full story
Although revered and enjoying the status of "father of the nation", Kaunda has not escaped other negative labels being thrown at him – including that of "divisive figure" because of his apparent failure to operate above the political fray. As a matter of fact, Kaunda has brought some of the criticism on himself.
In past elections, he has played contestants against each other by supporting one and dismissing others. In the 2001 election, he endorsed late opposition leader Anderson Mazoka as well as his son Tilyenji Kaunda. His later criticism of Mwanawasa, who controversially won the same election, earned him a barbed response, telling him to stay out of politics and reminding him how harshly Chiluba's government had treated him.
More recently, he had consistently ruled out current president Michael Sata (whom he had appointed to various portfolios) during his 27-year rule, claiming he was unsuitable for the presidency. In response, Sata's party reacted angrily and told him to stay away from politics or risk being attacked.
Acceding to power, however, Sata has brought Kaunda closer, repeatedly praising him publicly, having him at state functions and sending him on special missions abroad. Today, Kaunda does not miss an opportunity to praise Sata and ask the nation to support him. At the 2013 independence anniversary celebrations, Kaunda used strong language against the opposition for criticising Sata. It is this conduct on his part that has sometimes made people question his father figure status and accuse him of being "divisive".
A time of glory and celebrations like a birthday would certainly be the wrong time to conduct a microscopic scrutiny of someone's life. But, while Kaunda was praised far and wide for his contribution to the country and the continent, there were some who thought the praises were not only exaggerated but also a calculated attempt at rewriting history. Nowhere was this view more potent than in social media, for the obvious reason that such counter-views would never have found space in the pro-government media.
The social media was awash with analyses of his rule, some dug from the archives, others newly constructed, perhaps a reminder that there are still many people with fresh memories of his rule. The common view among this segment was that while Kaunda must be appreciated, the country must not shy away from discussing his entire legacy.
"The full story, which includes his dictatorial tendencies and reckless economic policies which drove the country down, must be told," one blogger argued. Others pointed to his "overstaying" in power, the lack of respect for fundamental rights and underplaying the contribution of other freedom fighters. In fact, such views are not new as they have been expressed before even by people that worked closely with Kaunda.
Whether this indicates a failure to forgive or a nation conscious of its history or merely wanting to tell "the full story", as that blogger contended, is a matter of debate.
Zambia will be 50
But Kaunda's big birthday bash is only a prelude to the country's jubilee on 24 October this year. A committee led by Vice President Scott is overseeing preparations for the grand occasion. But even before the momentous date, there is debate on the value of the jubilee. Some argue that "it is pointless to celebrate 50 years of independence amid so much poverty and underdevelopment". They had even suggested a boycott of the event, although that call has since disappeared.
The counter view is that there is a lot to celebrate. For instance, Zambia has not been at war with itself or its eight neighbours; the country is united despite its ethnic diversity of over 70 tribes and the sometimes deeply polarising politics; it achieved its freedom and additionally played a major role in the liberation of other countries. Kaunda takes a lot of credit for this, and rightly so.
As a Zambian I can confirm that the people here love to debate and really enjoy their freedom of speech. By the time it is October, all the jubilee events will pass off without incident, the venues will be jam-packed, political rivalry will be buried momentarily, the people will laugh and hug and all the reflections of where the country has come from and where it should go will be so unanimous that they will wonder why they even argue.
That's it. "Stand and sing of Zambia. Proud and free. Land of work, joy and unity," as verse one of the national anthem goes.
