Thursday, March 28, 2024

Zambia’s history is wrong, truth should be told -Dr Banda

Share

Former United Party for National Development (UPND) Vice President for politics Canisius Banda has dispelled the historical records that Zambia was a British colony and that the country became independent on 24thOctober 1964 as it existed since time immemorial, reports Pan African Radio Journalist Hermit Hachilonde.
 
In a statement issued a day after Zambia commemorated her 52nd Independence Anniversary on 24th October, Dr. Banda said that the history of Zambia was wrongly told and it is high time that Zambians are told the truth about the history of Zambia which was not fully understood and this has remained the case even today.
 
He explained that Cecil Rhodes of the British-South African Company (BSA) and other Dutch traders seized some lands in the ‘Dark Continent’ as Africa was referred to including the modern day Zambia which was named Northern Rhodesia after his name and turned into a British Territory in 1924.
 
Dr. Banda said indigenous dwellers in Zambia had already inhabited the land for thousands of years and were independent.
 
According to Dr. Banda, who has styled himself as a developmental activist after his exit from the UPND last month, on 24 October, 1964 Zambians simply regained control of their land stating that the apparent Independence Day was a mere Restoration Day.
 
 He has since stressed the need to reflect the right symbolism of 24thOctober and suggested that it must be termed ‘Reclamation or Restoration Day’ because to reclaim independence and become independent are two different things.
 
“Note that Zambia was never  colonized.  It was never a British colony. History cannot be changed. But it can be wrongly told. It is then important for ourselves and our children that we know the truth, that our children are told their history correctly” Dr. Banda said

38 COMMENTS

    • Whatever, as there is much more to be corrected such as names, for example: Mpika = Mupika, Mporokoso = Mupolokoso, Lusaka = Lusaaka, Mazabuka = Mwazabuka, Monze = Moonze, Mongu – Mungu, Mpulungu = Mpe Ulungu so on and so forth. Even the teaching of History must be factual as in one David Livingstone discovering the falls wrongly referred to Mosi Oa Tunya ask for correct name from the Toka Leya to be David Livingstone the first white man to be shown the falls! Lets debate so that the Zambian institutions responsible take ownership and lead in guidance!

  1. Dr Banda is losing direction with history.Am told European countries met in 1884 in Berlin to decide on how Africa was to be partitioned hence the rebirth of Scramble for Africa.It is misleading for the learnt doctor to say Africa was not colonized.It is like saying African were not taken into slavery.The records are there to show that slavery was carried out by Europeans.

    • According to that reasoning Dr. Banda, every country that was colonized and later gained independence should not see itself as independent but “Restored” as you suggest. What you describe about Zambia is true of so many other countries.

    • Indeed Dr. Banda is confused. What is colonization? Here is an online definition: “the action or process of settling among and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area.” Then ask: Did the British settle among the indigenous people of pre-Zambia? Yes! Did they establish control over the people of the area! Yess! If yes then you Dr. Banda are WRONG! Wrong! Wrong! You need to apologize or better still take a refresher cour in African Hisroey.

  2. Ba Banda naimwe. Restoration or Independence its all up to your own semantics. Some will prefer to call it liberation but it alll means the same. When you put something in different words it may evoke a different perception but it doesnt make the product different

  3. Northern Rhodesia was a British protectorate. True that Zambia was never colonised as it was only born on that day the British crown handed back political power(though in fact they still are in control. He who has economic strength has political control. In any case on the 24th of every October, we commemorate the lowering of the Union Jack and the rising of the green,black,orange and red.It also marks the coming together of the two Rhodesias.North western and North eastern Rhodesia became Zambia.As a nation,we need to learn our true History.We are weak in this area much the reason we keep repeating same mistakes.Start first with our own family histories.How many can trace their family trees down to five generations before them?Draw family trees and the family is the building block of a…

  4. Seeking some relevance. After failing to get the PS Job at Ministry of Health maybe Lungu has employed Dr CB as History Adviser at State House. Enjoy Lungu’s gravy train while it lasts. Kumodzi kumaawa and Dununa Reverse reigns!

  5. Comment:In Southern Rhodesia they used guns for their liberation,but in Northern Rhodesia(Zambia),stones and logs were used and in the end liberation was restored.It was not independence as we are always told.

  6. It is known as the clamor for relevance. No relevance at this stage. However, most recently, we restored ourselves from the Saudi oil and by reclaiming our own right to raise our petrol prices…

  7. A lot of names were renamed and gazetted by white surveyors eg: river Lyambezhi was written by white surveyors as Zambezi and from this wrong name we got the name of our country God help us. Its not too late we can change this things.

  8. Unconventional statement by Dr Banda. The record in the annuals of history show that Zambia was a British Protectorate. Perhaps we should also look at the benefits of colonialism notwithstanding the racial segregation and bigotry that the British instituted on our forefathers.

    For a Balanced account of the indenpendence of Africa, read the page turner, the States of Africa by Martin Meredith. The book is in our Book stores. What makes this book interesting is that it is well referenced and seemingly accurate. Another balanced source is the 1985 production by Granada Television now on You Tube ”The End of empire – The rider and the horse”. Zambia at 50 by our own Andrew Sardanis caps it all. The challenge we have about our colonial and post indenpendence history is that our history…

  9. However, before the territory now called Zambia, became a British territory, the different native tribal groupings existed individually and each tribe was independent of each other. Thus, going by the learned Doctor’s logical each tribal grouping should thus pursue self determination.

  10. Chela boi,
    Zambia was a “protectorate” and not a colony. There is a big difference and this needs address. Like many people have said above, we may call Dr Banda names but truth be told in the right way. I do not think the man is crazy and I for one has had that discussion before. We have now learned enough to put things straight. It is a good debate I would love to join the panel too. I personally understands what he is trying to say and what he means. Many other developed nations are busy rewriting their to own History and making amendments to bring out the truth. quote from wiki…A protectorate, in its inception adopted by modern international law, is a dependent territory that has been granted local autonomy and some independence while still retaining the suzerainty of a greater…

    • A protectorate, in its inception adopted by modern international law, is a dependent territory that has been granted local autonomy and some independence while still retaining the suzerainty of a greater sovereign state. In exchange for this, the protectorate usually accepts specified obligations, which may vary greatly, depending on the real nature of their relationship. Therefore, a protectorate remains an autonomous part of a sovereign state. They are different from colonies as they have local rulers and people ruling over the territory and experience rare cases of immigration of settlers from the country it has suzerainty of. However, a state which remains under the protection of another state but still retains independence is known as a protected state and is different from…

  11. A kwasu since you have time on your hands please re-write history and don’t forget to include at least three chapters on Mbikusita Lewanika in the liberation struggle so that Akashambatwa can be happy. Read data from Barotse News. Our failed number 9 HH yesterday went to visit ‘potential’ witnesses in the election petition who were attacked, but as usual he went empty handed. GBM on the other had brought fruit for the injured men…Five crucial games no scores…yah and now he says he wants Saki to rejoin UPND but only with him HH as the number 9? Why not extend the invitation to all and allow us to choose our leadership? Even the chief whip and leader in the house were hand picked no consultation..zwaaa 2021 New UPND number 9 Zambia forward!

  12. At least one Northern Rhodesia has revealed that Zambian History is wrongly told. THAT IS VERY TRUE. YOU CAN SEE THAT EVEN THE LEANED DR. BANDA IS HIDING STILL THAT THERE WAS BAROTSELAND ALSO AS ONE OF THE KEY SIGNATORY TO THE FAMOUS BUT NOW DEFUNCT TREATY BA’64 WHICH BIRTHED ZAMBIA; WHICH MOST ZAMBIANS REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE. HAVE YOU EVER HEAD OF BAREXIT? FIND OUT ON BAROTSELAND POST. THE TRUE HISTORY WILL HAVE TO BE TOLD SOONER THAN SOON.

  13. Before ’64 there was no Zambia. According to this reasoning we should go back to Mwatiyanvwa’s empire, Barotseland, shaka’s kraal (lol) etc. Because that’s what we were before colonialism.

  14. do u ever wonder the predicament of africa today and before without colonisation? its gud those guys came and taught us the ways of life we so much cherish today.

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading