The Convention People’s Party (CPP) has described the late President of Zambia, Dr Kenneth David Kaunda, as a deep thinker, who served his people selflessly till his death.
The Party said the late Dr Kaunda was a committed freedom fighter, who contributed greatly to free the entire continent of Africa from colonial rule.
Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, the 2020 Flagbearer of the Party, in a tribute, said the late Dr 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.
Mr Greenstreet was speaking at a photo exhibition and eulogy organised by the CPP in celebration of the Late Dr Kaunda, the last leader of Africa’s liberation era and founding President of Zambia.
The late Zambian leader was born on April 28, 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 October 30, 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.
Mr 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 and Leader, 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.
She 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.
Nana Frimpomaa 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.
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