Zambia’s journey to independence
Published On October 1, 2014 » 11272 Views» By Administrator Times » Features
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•FIRST Republican president Kenneth Kaunda (right) Grey Zulu pictured recently.

•FIRST Republican president Kenneth Kaunda (right) Grey Zulu pictured recently.

By CHIMANGENI BANDA –

ONE school of thought intimates that “there was absolutely nothing magical about the time when Northern Rhodesia, like a snake, shade its outer skin to become the Republic of Zambia” at the stroke of midnight on October 24, 1964.
However, a culmination of eclectic events led Zambia to become a sovereign State and “the choice of date and time was by mutual agreement between the departing colonial administration and the nationalist movement.”
The date of Zambia’s independence was enshrined and guaranteed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom under the Zambia Independence Act of 1964 Chapter 5 which granted independence to the former protectorate of Northern Rhodesia with effect from October 24, 1964.
In theE+W+S+N.I. Act, it states that “on October 24, 1964 (in this Act referred to as “the appointed day”) the territories which immediately before the appointed day are comprised in Northern Rhodesia shall cease to be a protectorate and shall together become an independent republic under the name of Zambia; and on and after that day Her Majesty shall have no jurisdiction over those territories.”
Four years prior to Zambia’s independence, British Prime Minister Harold McMillan on his visit to South Africa, acknowledged in his famous speech of “There is a wind of change blowing through Africa” that the days of colonial rule on the continent were nearing an end.
Zambia’s independence from Britain came 10 months after the collapse of the federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. The federation was mooted in 1953 to promote the commercial and security interests of the white settler community, especially south of the Zambezi River.
The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, which was also known as the Central African Federation was created between 1 August and 23 October 1953 and lasted until 31 December 1963. The federation joined the British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), the colony of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and the protectorate of Nyasaland (now Malawi).
These lands came to be classified as such following prospective mining interests in the region by British merchant explorers.
In 1888, British merchant Cecil Rhodes’ quest for commercial and political interests in Central Africa exuberated on the premise of the massive potential of the region seen by Scottish explorer David Livingstone.
The Scotsman had been to the territory, now called Zambia, where he was the first European to behold one of the world’s wonder, the Mosi-oa-tunya Falls, which he named Victoria in 1855, after his Queen.
Livingstone sought to convert the Africans and put to an end the slave trade perpetuated by Portuguese traders. He hoped he could replace the slave trade with legitimate commerce anchored on European market for African ivory and cotton in exchange for European goods but failed.
Cecil Rhodes’ British South African Company (BSC) signed treaties with African tribes like the Tabwa, Lungu and Mambwe as well as chiefs such as King Lewanika of the Lozi people. Tribes such as the Bembas and Ngonis that refused to negotiate were forcefully conquered by the
British and forced into wage labour.
Rhodes administered the area until in1924 when it became a British protectorate.
The discovery of copper and lead mining spurred development and immigration, which by late 1930s, about 4,000 European skilled workers and some 20,000 African labourers were engaged.
In the ensuing pursuit of economic advancement, the British imposed hut tax that condemned and consigned people to work as wage labourers in order to get money to pay.
In addition people had to contend dehumanising situations, fight discrimination and white dominance.
At one point, through the imposition of the infamous restriction order of September 1956, the colonial administration arbitrarily imprisoned Africans and deprived them of other rights.
The African leadership challenged the Restriction Order in the courts and it was found to be illegal. Refusing to accept defeat, the colonial administration, determinedly ensured that Africans already behind the bars did not have the opportunity to walk free before they had completed their prison terms.
It is this injustice and white minority rule that gave rise to the nationalist movement that was determined to fight an inherent regime that disadvantaged Zambians.
Education, which was being provided by both the colonial administration and the missionaries enlightened many black people.
They took up the mantle and campaigned against local injustices and later independence through trade unions, welfare associations and legislative council which had been the preserve of the white settler community from 1925 to 1948.
After some Africans were appointed to the legislative council in 1948, the first independence movement begun in 1949 when the African Nationalist Congress (ANC) was formed to oppose white settler vigorous manoeuvres for unification in order to keep power.
White European settlers in the region were disturbed about the increasing black African population and sought ways of keeping power to themselves.
In the early 1950s, under the leadership of Harry Nkumbula, ANC fought strenuously but unsuccessfully, against the establishment of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
The booming copper industry had attracted about 72,000 whites to Northern Rhodesia by 1958, and the blacks there experienced increasing white domination.
The election of the National Party in South Africa in 1948 worried the British government, which began to see federation as a potential counter to the Apartheid policies being introduced in SA.
Then in 1953, London enforced a compromise through the formation of a federation where African MPs were empowered to query legislation considered racist.
It was also seen as a potential concession to black nationalists in the region who were starting to ask for independence.
However, the Kamuzu Banda led black nationalists in Nyasaland and those marshalled by Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula and Kenneth Kaunda in Northern Rhodesia expressed worry that Southern Rhodesia white settlers would seize the federation’s authority.
True to their fears, the Federation’s first prime minister was Godfrey Huggins, who had already served as PM of Southern Rhodesia for 23 years.
During its decade of existence, the federal government “creamed off’ the revenues from Zambian copper mines to develop Southern Rhodesia’s impressive economic structure.
Centenarian freedom fighter Langtone Zulu recalls that the white settlers viewed themselves as superior to the indigenous black people.
“They regarded themselves as gods”, said Zulu, who turned 100 years in March this year.
“Blacks could not share the same toilet with whites even when they worked in the same office and there was a toilet there, we had to go outside and yet they preached Christianity.”
Popularly known as Mabuku in Lusaka’s densely populated Mtendere Township, Zulu hailed from Malawi and worked as a wage labourer in Rhodesia, before reinforcing the liberation struggle in Northern Rhodesia. Aside his daring role of defying white settlers and the colonial administration, he invoked the name of God so that people got united under the nationalist movement leaders to fight for freedom and self-determination.
“We were viewed as inferiors and treated as half human beings; no gentlemen among black men, no lady among black women”, recalled Grey Zulu.
“In fact an African was viewed and suspected to be a thief just because of his colour.”
Grey Zulu, who served as Secretary- General of UNIP under the Kaunda regime, said the dehumanising treatment prompted the Africans to fight for independence.
“In spite knowing that our lives were in danger, we could be arrested and put in prison, we held secret meetings at night to plan and strategise for independence, for actions to make the British leave.”
Northern Rhodesia was the centre of much of the turmoil and crisis that characterised the federation in its last years. At the core of the controversy were insistent African demands for greater participation in government and European fears of losing political control.
The Black Nationalist leaders were frequently arrested to subdue the momentum of the liberation struggle.
It is argued that the experience of imprisonment had a moderating influence on Nkumbula, as opposed to the radical influence on Kaunda.
Nkumbula became increasingly influenced by White liberals and was seen as willing to compromise on the fundamental issue of majority rule.
Opposition to Nkumbula’s alleged autocratic leadership of the ANC eventually resulted in a split with Kaunda, who went on to form the Zambia African National Congress (ZANC) in October 1958.
ZANC was banned in March, 1959 and in June, Kaunda was sentenced to nine months imprisonment.
While Kaunda was still in prison, the United National Independence Party (UNIP) was formed in 1959.
Upon release from prison, Kaunda took over the presidency of UNIP, and together with other leaders like Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe transformed and organised it into a more militant liberation vehicle than Nkumbula’s ANC.
Consequently, UNIP rapidly took the leading position in the struggle for independence and eclipsed the ANC.
Nkumbula’s political career suffered setbacks following his nine months’ imprisonment (April 1961 – January 1962), for causing death by dangerous driving as well as his allegedly ill-advised secret electoral pact with the Whites-only United Federal Party.
The British government realised that independence for African countries was now inevitable especially that world opinion about imperialism was changing and that a number of French -African colonies had become independent.
In 1961 the British Secretary of State for colonies proposed a constitution for Zambia, which would guarantee African control. The white settlers pressured him into altering it to give them control.
However, according to Grey Zulu, Kaunda, the teacher turned militant nationalist leader threatened to ‘paralyze’ the government unless the new constitution was changed back.
Kaunda called for peaceful protests but there were violent uprisings and sabotage as this upheaval became known as the famous cha-cha-cha.
The British government eventually gave in and the constitution was amended to give the Africans a small majority in the Parliament.
In the elections of 1962, ANC and UNIP formed a coalition in a transitional government and in 1963, the federation was dissolved.
The UNIP/ANC alliance lasted until the pre-independence elections of January 1964, when UNIP won fifty-five seats to the ANC’s 10 seats.
Kaunda became Prime Minister and Nkumbula, leader of the opposition.
In January, 1964 UNIP won an election. In that year Alice Lenshina, head of the Lumpa Church led a rebellion. Kaunda used force to suppress it and about 700 people were killed.
At the stroke of midnight on 24 October, 1964, Zambia became a sovereign state with Kaunda as President. Nyasaland became Malawi on 6 July, 1964, while White settlers in Southern Rhodesia announced a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) on 11 November, 1965. In 1980, black majority rule was attained in the last confederate colony which became Zimbabwe.
After independence, Kaunda drew up a development plan that devoted vast resources to the public sector to improve education, health and other infrastructure and set the foundations for today’s Zambia.
Elections in 1991 brought an end to one party rule and a flourish of multi-party politics under the new regime of Frederick Chiluba.
Fifty years from the birth of Zambia, another wind of change is blowing; one of introspection on half a century of political, economic developments and transformations the country has undergone.
In the eyes of the centenarian freedom fighter, today’s Zambia does not value the hard won freedom as evidenced by escalating political hatred and regionalism that can inflame and destroy the nation.
It is written that it took the Israelite 40 years to reach the land of milk and honey from Egypt on a journey scholars say should have taken them 10 days.
As Zambia commemorates 50 years of independence, it will be worth noting if the country has reached her own land of milk and honey.—ZANIS.

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