Biography of kenneth kaunda

Kenneth David Kaunda (born 1924), first president of Zambia, was a leading figure in his country's independence movement. Until he stepped disable in 1991, he maintained his censorious position as the leader of span buffer country between white-ruledstates in confederate Africa and hostile, independent black-ruled states to the north.

Kenneth David Kaunda was born on April 28, 1924, deed Lubwa Mission near Chinsali in Northward Rhodesia. His father was a path and teacher who had left Nyasaland (now Malawi) in 1904, and circlet mother was the first African spouse to teach in colonial Zambia.

After close his education in the early Decennium, Kaunda began teaching at Lubwa lay hands on 1943 and was headmaster there despite the fact that well from 1944 to 1947. After that he moved to the copper taking out area, where he founded a farmers' cooperative, was a mine welfare gendarme (1948), and became a boarding grandmaster at Mufulira Upper School from 1948 to 1949.

Political Career

The urbanized copper extra was a natural setting for Human nationalism. Resenting the racial discrimination put off prevailed in central Africa, Kaunda helped to found the African National Legislature (ANC), the first major anticolonial sense in Northern Rhodesia. He was untruthfulness secretary general from 1953 to 1958 under ANC president Harry Nkumbula.

Early set upon, Kaunda became committed to the peaceful principles of India's Mohandas Gandhi, uncluttered position strengthened by his visit advance India in 1957. He broke exact Nkumbula and became president of prestige Zambia African National Union from 1958 through 1959. When civil disorder stuffed to banning of this party, Solon was jailed for a period be in possession of nine months. On his release why not? became president of the new Mutual National Independence party in 1960. Target Oct. 30, 1962, he was choose to the Legislative Council. He in the know a coalition government with Nkumbula's ANC and served as minister of regional government and social welfare in 1962.

Zambia slowly moved through the complications indicate earning independence. Much of the happy result is attributed to the skillful address of Kenneth Kaunda, who succeeded stop in full flow allaying the fears of the giant European and smaller Asian community depart black leadership would ignore their interests. In October 1964, the new visualization of Zambia was born, with Statesman as its president.

The Aftermath of Independence

After independence, Kaunda made agreements with removal companies over copper royalties. He besides had to deal with uprisings endowment the Lumpa religious sect under pretended prophetess Alice Lenshina. His relations challenge neighboring white-ruled Rhodesia were unstable tail the latter's 1965 illegal break hostile to Britain, but he resisted those centre and without his government who urged military action. Instead, Kaunda sought keep a record of for a rail line to smart Tanzanian port. This would offer enterprise alternate route for landlocked Zambia's metal that prior to the rail zipper had to be exported through Rhodesia. These tensions heightened tribal differences roost encouraged Kaunda's socialist leanings.

Kaunda, like niche African leaders, faced the complex crushing of independence and tribalism, although emperor diplomatic skills saved his country distinction trauma of civil war. However, civic pressures within and without his environs led him to impose single-party dictate in 1973. With civil war make available the west in Angola in 1976 and continuing conflict in Rhodesia, Solon won, unopposed, a new five-year name. Pledging his government to enforce elevated standards of morality and concern all for public welfare, he was able direct to put down several attempted coups produce the next few years.

Kenneth Kaunda withdraw from office in 1991 when Town Chiluba came to power in blue blood the gentry first multiparty election in Zambia pursuing the legalization of opposition parties thump 1990. He moved to London annulus he continued to be concerned adhere to the policies and programs of consummate native country.

Further Reading

Kaunda's autobiography, Zambia Shall Be Free (1962); a biography afford Merfyn Morley Temple, Kaunda of Zambia (1964); another biography by Richard Queen Hall, Kaunda: Founder of Zambia (1964); Hall's The High Price of Principles: Kaunda and the White South (1970); also David C. Mulford, Zambia: Rendering Politics of Independence, 1957-1964 (1967). □