In his tribute1 to Kaunda, for- ver of power is still a fresh story mer Nigerian President Oluse- almost thirty years to the day.gun Obasanjo harkened to the Reginald Ntomba past to bring to mind the other gi- Lusaka, Zambia Tackling the Freedom Ques- ants who had worked alongside tion: Kaunda on the Frontline Kaunda to free the continent from Finally, August of 1978, we the yoke of colonialism an. [...] from there to energise the exiles and freedom fighters inside South After gaining independence for In the south-west, the Germans Africa, much to the chagrin of Zambia from Britain in October had long departed Namibia, but the the minority apartheid regime. [...] Ever the diplomat, Kaunda militancy, with Kaunda imprisoned As chairman of the Frontline was chief host and pulled a mas- for nine months in the north-west States, Kaunda was committed to terstroke by assembling the en- of the country and in Salisbury. [...] As he closed Wall and the emergence of a new the benefits of self-rule, Kaunda and the political space, removing him democratic wave sweeping across his group got to work and put up by force became the only option the world, a pro-democracy move- national infrastructure, such as pri- for those seeking a change of the ment was born in Zambia in July mary, secondary and trade schools, oppressive pol. [...] History should tion from the economic fallout and ted the cardinal sin of centralising never be told in a segregative the jubilation of the masses at his power around himself through the manner,’ wrote Lusaka journalist near ousting by the military.
- Pages
- 5
- Published in
- Senegal
