This is article 3 of 6 in the series ‘ A Critical Analysis of the Imperialist Driven Constitution by Chief Chitimukulu ‘
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- A Critical analysis of the Imperialist Driven Constitution Part 1- The Preamble
- A Critical analysis of the Imperialist Driven Constitution Part 2- One Man,One Vote
- A Critical Analysis of the Imperialist Driven Constitution Part 3 – The Consequences of Nationalisation
By Henry Kanyanta Sosala-Chitimukulu
The Consequences of Nationalisation
At the time of our independence, President Kaunda said:
’’…..because the institutions of government were, on the whole, in good shape when they were handed over to us, and partly because of European technical and economic competence, we were able to take-off into independence from a lofty platform.’’
And indeed, Zambia had over 200 pounds sterling in the reserves in London. The Kwacha was much stronger than all the major currencies. In fact a dollar only fetched 0.38 ngwee.
John Hatch wrote:
‘’…since 1966, the mantle of socio-economic leadership has been assumed by Tanzania and Zambia…..Kaunda has kept steadily to his determination that social justice shall be established. This has led him directly to try and concentrate on rural renaissance to raise the living standards of the mass of his people. The fact that in 1968 Zambia became self-sufficient in protein-giving eggs is one small, but significant evidence of success in this endeavour.’’
However, the Dudley Seers Report in part reads:
‘’In every town, there are Europeans enjoying in plain view vastly superior standards of living, housing etc., this very small minority have the best-paid jobs in the mines and the railways and own nearly all the financial wealth…..since the great majority of the population are impatient for economic and social change, this dichotomy could prove dangerous.’’
And consequently, in 1969, President Kaunda announced the take-over of about twenty-six companies involved in passenger and cargo haulage, chain-stores and manufacturing concerns which brought about such state conglomerates as Indeco, Contract Haulage, ZSBS, ZCBC, ZOK etc. He also decreed that retail businesses must be run by Zambians. The reforms which marched side by side with Zambianisation of jobs were roundly applauded as they broke the grip of expatriates on the economy. He emphasized that Zambian-registered companies should have a fifty per cent shareholding by indigenous people and this made Zambian citizenship a valuable asset.
And of course this did not go well with the capitalist-exploiters who began to chart the downfall of the Kaunda regime. And through the recommendation of the Seers Commission Report, a department of Development Planning was established in the Ministry of Finance which was staffed by white expatriates.( And according to John Hatch, Zambia at the time of independence had about one hundred university graduates; one thousand and five hundred persons with full secondary school education i.e., equivalent to grade XII and about six thousand persons with two years at secondary school i.e., grade IX). And those expatriates totally misdirected the government so much so that by 1970, Zambia applied to be considered among the poorest countries in the world, but the application was rejected because of the abundant natural resources.
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And those expatriates totally misdirected the government
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Thereafter, the country was hit by a great shortage of nearly all essential commodities, i.e., mealie-meal, soap, cooking oil, beer, newspapers etc. It is important at this juncture to know the events that contributed to the 1991 regime change in Zambia. According to the career intelligence officer, the late Dr. Kamoyo Mwale who coordinated intelligence exchanges between Zambia and South Africa at that time,
the regime change in Zambia was initiated by foreign powers who didn’t want the future ANC government in South Africa to be influenced by Dr. Kaunda. Dr. Chiluba and his colleagues were given US$ 600 million, which was deposited at some embassy in Pretoria, from where they drew their campaign funds.
In that case the Chiluba regime was obligated to its source of existence. The English say, ‘’He who pays the piper calls for the tune.’’
Very interesting to learn that ‘Foreign’ powers -I think most probably Britain and America funded Chiluba so that Kaunda’s nationalistic tendencies would not affect the ANC in South Africa….It’s no wonder the western countries are despised by Arabs..this meddling in other peoples countries for their selfish agenda is not good.May God judge them for the wrongs they have caused many generations.
Sosala is just some damn good Chief. But I only wonder why he is writing these stuff, is it to complain or to add value to new constitution?
Thank God Sata is dead, or we could have seen police at his palace again.
the moment you say, may God judge them ninshi you have fallen into their trap already. Why do you think they gave you religion, Christianity? its so that you remained docile even in the wake of persecution because your hope is in an all powerful, deity living somewhere in the clouds, doing the fighting for you. that way, you do nothing and they always win.
Be an independent mind. Go back to your roots in all spheres of people activity;spirituality,economics,politics,culture,society etc. It is always easier to do things you know, that way even if you make a mistake, it is easier to debug and find the problem easily and solve it.Not adopting concepts which are not fully explained to you such that if you fail in some area, you cant even fix it yourself. You go back begging to be helped
I have also learnt something. I didn’t know they masterminded KK’s fall. Now that they look back, are they proud of Chiluba’s reign???
KK just mismanaged the economy period. For how long are you going to blame the imperialists? He messed us up big time. And what is this nonsense of USD 600 mill? Somebody been smoking stuff.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO SAY YOU KNOW WHY SATA DID NOT WANT Henry Kanyanta Sosala TO BECOME PARAMOUNT CHIEF CHITIMUKULU- BECAUSE, SOSALA IN ADDITION TO KNOWING A LOT HE EVEN DOCUMENTARY FACTS AND EVIDENCE WHICH EVEN THE POLICE FAILED TO UNCOVER DURING THE RAIDS OF THE PALACE AS THEY DID NOT KNOW WHERE CLEVER KANYANTA HID THEM. THIS ONE IS A VERY SMART CHIEF. NOT THOSE WHO ARE JUST IN PALACES TO DRINK TO THEIR DEATHS. THIS INFO HAS ACTUALLY SOLVED MY PUZZLE- WHY MANDELA WHO WAS VERY CLOSE TO KK WHEN IN PRISON DISTANCED HIMSELF FROM KK WHEN OUT OF PRISON. MADIBA MIGHT HAVE BEEN GIVEN A LOT OF MONEY BY THE WEST TO KEEP AWAY FROM HIS BEST FRIEND, KK DESPITE THE INVALUABLE SACRIFICE KK PUT ZAMBIANS ON. ZAMBIA NEEDS SUCH WRITERS WHO INVESTIGATE DEEPER.
In the 90s, the wind of change had just come for Africa in general. It is even said anyone who could have stood against KK championing the cause of democracy could have won. I doubt the US300 million dollar funding story because I knew and worked with some of the founders of MMD at the time, they struggled to raise funds but the people where on their side. Just like in 2011 when people were on PF’s side
oh, its actually 600 milliom
ANOTHER DOUBTING THOMAS. BABA, IF YOU ARE IN DOUBT ASK THE LIBYANS WHAT HAPPENED TO THEIR BELOVED GADAFFI. LIBYANS NEVER COMPLAINED ABOUT ANYTHING. EVEN IN THE REMOTEST VILLAGE IN LIBYA THERE WAS A TV, THEY FED PROPERLY- BY FAR MORE IN THE WESTERN COUNTRIES. YOU THINK HENRY KANYANTA SOSALA CAN RISK PUTTING SUCH SENSITIVE INFO IN THE PUBLIC MEDIA. YOU MUST BE VERY DULL IF YOU THINK IT WAS FOR EVERY MMD EXECUTIVE MEMBER’S KNOWLEDGE.
Sir I don’t agree with you on this one. KK just mismanaged our economy period. Yes he wanted to inpower blacks but grabbing manufacturing companies from white owners and handing them over to incompetent indigenous Zambians wasn’t the correct way. He was also wrong do away with capitalism. Capitalism garantees personal financial rewards which encourages hard work and entrepreneurwship. It also encourages prudent usage of resorces – cutting on costs/wastage to improve on competitiveness and productivity. Capitalisim promotes dynamic effiency – firms producing quality goods and services in respond to changes in cosumers preferences. If it wan’t for KK’s Zambianasation policy, Zambians would be producing all sorts of goods for export like SA.
But why do you see only the negative side of KK’s policy? At the time his thinking was on the right path. The way it was effected is another issue.
If you read Chitimukulu’s first piece he quotes one Cecil John Rhodes who realised that without imperialism there would be civil war in the land. That is actually a truth of life.
All succesful nations first went through a stage of dictatorial governance that brought all citizens to one kind of thought. Its after uniformity happens that free thinking starts. KK was trying to focus on One Zambia before we could pursue free market theories
Wrong! Zambians were already one people during the struggle for independence.
Its was during his second term in office that KK shifted his focus from prudent economic management to perpetuating his rule when it became evident that other freedom fighters such as Kapwepwe, Nkumbula and group were positioning themselves to take over from him after his second term. Its at this point that KK changed our constitution in 1973, introducing the one party participatory nonsense. I guess you know what followed after that. Politics of appeasement led to breakdown in good governance hence the collapse of our economy in the 1980s.
JJ, IS THE ARTICLE HEAVY FOR YOU TO COMPREHEND? CHITIMUKULU IS NOT POINTING A BLAMING ANYONE- HE’S JUST STATING THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS LEADING TO THE DEFEAT OF KK.
MULENA CHITIMUKULU of the Bemba-speaking people exhibits scholarship in this series. Granted some of you detractors will say the stuff he writes about has already been written by others. Well, this is part of scholarship and we all must pay attention to MULENA and possibly introspect and suggest the way forward.
In the meantime MULENA deserves credit for, how many other MALENA and let alone of the current crop of politicians have articulated their views other than the same tried and boring terms like “go a long way”, “stakeholder” etc?!
Thank you very much your royal highness for this and the other pieces you have written. Have you seriously thought of putting these same thoughts in the Bemba language? You would do the vast Bemba nation a great favour by encouraging discussion of modern day topics in the native tongue.
We Africans are losing our languages because we prefer to communicate only in English French Portuguese. We have therefore made our children think our languages are for discussing only archaic (or bad) things. When we want to discuss modern stuff we need to use European languages.
Nyerere battled this attitude when he introduced Swahili as a medium of communication in Tanzania. However Swahili today embraces all global topics without any qualms
When Chiefs discuss national issues! Ulululululu! I agree he has done goodm Well done Mwine Lubemba
The Chitimukulu has plagialised, stolen academic work of another without acknowledging. He has stolen Mpezeni’s works! Anyhow, thank you publishing these works ba Chitimukulu, they were in danger of accompanying Mpezeni to the grave.
I am bound to agree with you. I saw this long ago when he started writing and everything that he said sounded wise. It could only come from a man from the East
All this proves so far is that Sosala can read books (and maybe copy a lot from others using a word processor). Maybe he should examine the role of the Bible in Imperialism, and the historic role of the chief also. Who was it who sold the country to the whites in the first place?
A wise man will first listen to the whole story before commenting. I reserve my comment till I read the last article on this thesis.
Interesting. We look, but cannot see that history is playing itself out, this time with players of odd races.
@ j j
The people Kaunda put in place to run the economy ruined it. Most had no previous track record of running such institutions. At the same time the party (UNIP) was deemed supreme. You could not lay off employees to make a company profitable because UNIP did not allow it. You could not fire an employee for laziness because they reported you to the UNIP office. Zambia used to make Range Rover cars, Exide batteries, Dunlop tyres, Fiat cars, Mitsubishi cars, Railway fright wagons (by Zambia Railways). KK had very good intentions. He did what the people asked. But the people betrayed him by not performing at the highest level. Now they turned around to blame him for the mess just like any SPOILED CHILD.Grow up Zambians.
Kikikikikiki ala wansekenshya cilumendo!
Boss what you are saying is that KK had big dreams and no resources to make his dreams a reality. Its like a General sending his troops into war armed with pistols, he IS doomed to fail. Would you then blame the troops or the General in that case?Do you get it? JJ is right of-course.
Sanity, read what Jtwisty has written, it makes a lot of sense. KK started something he could not finish. He created parastatals from viable private companies he grabbed from the rightful owners and run them down. Government baking and selling bread, rubbish!
Botswana got its independence from Britain in 1966. In 1966, Botswana was among the world’s poorest countries, even poorer than Zambia but their first president, Sir Seretse Khama, set out on a vigorous economic programme, transforming his country into an export-based economy built around beef, copper and diamonds. Between the late 60s and early 80s, when KK was busy destroying our economy, Khama was turning Botswana into the fastest growing economy in the world.
ZAMBIA NEVER MADE THOSE CARS YOU HAVE MENTIONED. ZAMBIA ASSEMBLED THOSE CARS. HOW CAN YOU MAKE A CAR IF OUR ENGINEERS CAN’T EVEN MAKE A WHEELBARROW?
@12.4 I MEANT TO SAY: HOW CAN YOU MAKE A CAR IF OUR ENGINEERS CAN’T EVEN DESIGN (instead of make) A WHEELBARROW?
Nice piece chief
I learnt some from the article. Nakalebalika mukwai ba mwinelubemba