The world received with utter shock and sadness on Thursday, June 17, 2021, news of the sudden demise of the foremost liberation crusader, Pan Africanist and the founding father of modern Zambia, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, popularly called KK. Dr. Kaunda died at the ripe age of 97 in a military hospital in Lusaka, after suffering from acute pneumonia.
The late Kenneth Kaunda, son of a Malawian immigrant, began his political career as a freedom fighter in the then British Colonial territory of the defunct Northern Rhodesia along with his fellow nationalists and freedom fighters.
As the liberation struggles were then raging in Southern Rhodesia and championed by the nationalist leaders and freedom fighters, led by the legendary Joshua Nkomo, along with his comrades in arms, including Robert Mugabe, all of blessed memory, the Northern Rhodesian liberation struggles, led by the indomitable Kenneth Kaunda, was equally raging and gaining momentum, which later culminated in the granting of independence by the erstwhile British Colonial powers in 1964 to the former Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia, under the leadership of the charismatic Kenneth Kaunda as her founding father and the first President of the Country.
The late former Zambian President, Kenneth Kaunda, will certainly be remembered for his vision for the liberation and emancipation of the African Continent and had contributed immensely towards the liberation of the countries that were still under the yoke of colonialism.
He also played pivotal role in the eradication of HIV and AIDS pandemic in the continent, even after leaving office as President of Zambia. Late Dr. Kaunda was fond of waving a white handkerchief as a symbol of peace and love for humanity.
It would be recalled also that the doyen of African liberation and nationalism, Dr. Kaunda, clearly demonstrated his sense of pragmatism as he was one of the few African leaders that accorded diplomatic recognition to the defunct Republic of Biafra during the Nigerian Civil war, even as he then followed in the footsteps of the legendary late President Julius Nyerere of Tanzania and late President Felix Hauphouet-Boigny of Ivory Coast among others in according diplomatic recognition to the defunct Republic of Biafra.
Late Dr. Kaunda’s political influence stretched beyond the frontiers of his own country down to South Africa and Namibia that were still under the yoke of colonialism and repression by the erstwhile racist white minority regimes with obnoxious apartheid laws and policies aimed at enslaving and subjugating black African majority inhabitants.
Late Dr. Kaunda, therefore, contributed in no small measures towards the eventual liberation and freedom of the black African majority inhabitants in South Africa as well as in Namibia, formally known as South West Africa and which are today enjoying total freedom and independence.
The departed foremost nationalist and humanist, Kaunda, was the last in the generation of true African Patriots that scarified their life time in the struggles for the freedom, human dignity and emancipation of their people from the shackles of colonialism and imperialism.
The present generation of African leaders and, indeed, the entire black race across the globe should emulate the shining example of all the departed African nationalists and freedom fighters and make the African continent a better place where peace, love, justice, unity and progress should always be the watch word in all their policies and actions.
Zambian government declared three weeks of national mourning for the departed nationalist and political icon, Dr. Kaunda Kenneth (KK). African leaders are enjoined to follow in the footsteps of the Zambian government and equally declare a period of national mourning in solidarity with the people of Zambia in honour of the departed great Pan African nationalist and liberator.
May God Almighty grant his soul eternal rest in heaven Amen!
WRITTEN BY NZE NWABUEZE AKABOGU
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