. Nkumbula
By PRISCILA SIMUKOKO –
AT the helm of independence struggle married women took to the streets to burn their marriage certificates as part of the strategy to protest against the white rule.
“This is how aggressive we were to fight for the freedom we enjoy today,” recalls Eunice Sebele, a freedom fighter.
Mama Sebele, a former mama region (regional women’s league chairperson) in UNIP administration is a common figure in Solwezi who is usually found seated among the invited guests at national or community events.
At 80 years, mama Sebele is still going on strong unlike what one expects of a woman of her age to be.
She goes about with routine community activities and finding her home is mostly by appointment.
Mama Sebele, a widow, was married to an African Mine Workers Union Trustee and freedom fighter Peter Sebele in 1957.
She was blessed with three children two of them have passed on, but the family legacy can easily be noticed by the presence of her great great grandchildren who keeps her company.
A Catholic by faith, Mama Sebele started school in 1947 at Yowela primary in Chief Musaka’s chiefdom in Solwezi before moving to Kawima school where she did sub B, an equivalent of today’s lower primary education and later went to do standard six (grade seven) at Mindolo girls boarding school in Kitwe.
Due to difficulties in accessing higher learning institutions, she could not advance her education as there was only Chalimbana College at the time for black people.
Mama Sebele was among the people the UNIP government sent to study political economy in Cuba in the early 1970s.
After returning home, she was appointed as women’s league secretary for Kabompo district.
She used the position to organize women for the party activities including development programmes, the work which earned her promotion in the party hierarchy to regional women’s league chairperson.
Mama Sebele is the young sister to Paul Kalichini, a distinguished nationalist.
After efforts to enrol at Chalimbana College failed, Mama Sebele decided to seek formal employment though it was not easy to find one because of being a black.
“After writing my application letter, I went to the post office to buy stamps through a small window reserved for blacks and I asked a white man at the counter in English how much it would cost me to post the letter, “the white man said, you Kaffer (black person) you speak English?.” Recalls Mama Sebele
She says this encounter was a painful experience that shattered her dreams and made her resolve to join the liberation struggle in 1954 as a member of the African National Congress (ANC) youth league in Kabwe.
At that time first republican president Kenneth Kaunda together with Paul Kalichini and others were in detention in various towns and this attracted mass demonstrations by youths against Harry Mwangala Nkumbula, leader of ANC because they believed he was behind the mistreatment of other leaders.
“This brought about differences in the ANC and majority of youths decided to back Dr Kaunda’s group, the Zambia African National Congress which later merged with other political parties to form UNIP in 1959.
It was after the African Mine workers Union joined forces with Dr Kaunda’s group in the liberation struggle that she met her husband Peter Sebele.
At the helm of Chachacha, Mama Sebele worked tirelessly with Ms Nkonkola wife to Dickson Nkonkola a nationalist, to organize women in townships to re enforce strategies devised by men.
“Chachacha was a non violent pressure group formed to send strong messages to the colonialists that we will not give up the fight until we gain our independence,” Mama Sebele says.
Mama Sebele played a key role in organizing married women to burn marriage certificates at the British Overseas Management Administration (BOMA) office in Kitwe because they did not want anything to do with a white man.
She also took a leading role to plan for demonstrations to press for an all inclusive constitution, the action that landed her at Bwana Mukubwa prison together with other seven women for five weeks.
“I went to prison with a three months old baby.” Recounts Mama sebele
After attaining independence, she served the party in various positions before being appointed as Mama Region for north western province.
Her responsibility was to coordinate women to participate in national development.
In her tour of duty issues of gender inequality became emanate and this made her realise that achieving meaningful development was impossible.
This was the start of liberation struggle against gender inequality as she set out to mobilize women for the cause with the support of Mama Mary Fulano, Mama Lily Monze and Mama Chibesa Kansansa, to start the Women’s Lobby group in 1986.
She said the objective of the lobby group was to champion the inclusion of gender issues into the republican constitution of 1994 and also to formulate the gender policy document.
Mama Sebele’s passion to fight against any form of injustice has earned her recognition among the local people.
“We are proud to have Mama Sebele around, she is a strong woman, who stands for the common good,” says Toby Kankungugu, the first UNIP district youth chairman for Mwinilunga district.
She has continued to render her expertise and counsel to various developmental committees including the council of elders.
Mama Sebele is a board member at Solwezi Trades Skills Institute.
Lucas Chikoti chairperson of the council of elders describes mama Sebele as a valuable founding member of the council.
“We have confidence in her ability to drive development, without her working with others this region could not have achieved political recognition, it is enjoying today.” Mr Chikoti said.
He said the council is looking at recommending to government to honour her distinguished service to the liberation struggle.
As Zambia celebrates jubilee independence, she Mama Sebele is happy to live to see her efforts bearing results.
” I feel proud to see important offices being run by woman, like the auditor general’s office the police service, farmers union, and others,” she says
She however expressed concern that women have continued to be marginalized, a situation she blamed to be driving gender based violence in the country.
Mama Sebele said gender based violence should be fought with the zeal that freedom fighters had against colonialism.
As Zambia celebrates 50 years of independence it owes the gallant women who sacrificed their lives, marriages, great debt of gratitude for their valuable contribution to the fight for freedom of our country.
