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Kaunda's Feet of Clay
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14411 |
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Section : |
CURRENT ISSUES
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| Issue
Date : |
6 / 1988 |
2,254 Words |
| Author
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Desmond J. McForan
Desmond J. McForan is a political risk consultant and economic
affairs analyst who specializes in southern African affairs.
He is currently collaborating on a book examining regional
political and economics realities. |
For almost twenty-five years now, Kenneth David Kaunda has led the Zambian people. Needless to say, he has become a real force in African politics. He has been vociferous in his condemnation of apartheid and is a unifying factor in creating a cohesive political thrust among the "frontline" states. Recently, Kaunda has pushed for a global imposition of sanctions against South Africa, yet he faces domestic problems of monumental proportions that directly impinge on his handling of foreign affairs.
Born in the small town of Lubwa in 1924, Kaunda worked as a welfare officer in the Chingola copper mines, where he first became attracted to African nationalist politics. In 1943, he joined the Northern Rhodesia African National Congress. In 1959, when it was banned, Kaunda was imprisoned. In 1960, he became the first president of the United National Independence Party (UNIP) and, four years later, the first president of Zambia.
Feeling the earth move
Yet, his position as Zambia's premier statesman is not as secure--due to Zambia's acute economic problems--as many outside Zambia believe. The copperbelt riots of December 1986 and the subsequent strikes that shook Zambia eroded Kaunda's power base and made him vulnerable. Kaunda has already taken measures to reduce the opposition that threatens his presidential candidacy later this year. The two most substantial challengers to his reelection hopes have had much of the ground taken from under their feet and are now effectively out of the running. Humphrey Mulemba had been UNIP secretary-general until Kaunda's cabinet reshuffle of April 1985, when he was conveniently posted to Canada as Zambian high commissioner. The other contender is Frederick Chiluba, chairman of the Zambian Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU). Chiluba now devotes all his energies to fighting to retain his position.
Widespread popular dissatisfaction with the ruling party was reflected in the low number of officially registered voters last November, in a one-party state, the one effective means of publicizing opposition is not to register and subsequently not to vote. The current target of widespread disaffection is the triumvirate of Grey Zulu, the current UNIP secretary-general; Elijah Mudenda, who is responsible for party appointments and discipline; and Reuben Kamanga, the UNIP Central Committee member in charge of agriculture. If the dissatifaction becomes more voluble and visible, Kaunda will have no other option but to employ his time-honored "when in a crisis, change the faces" policy. If this occurs, the three
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