NEWS and FEATURES 22 October 2010 Page 5 Kenneth Kaunda Street Formerly: Northway KENNETH David Kaunda, affectionately known as KK and the first president of Zambia, was born on 28 April 1924 at Lubwa Mission in Chinsali, in what was then Northern Rhodesia. He was the youngest of eight children. His father was a Minister and teacher who had left Malawi in 1904 and his mother was the first African woman to teach in colonial Zambia. Initially, the young Kaunda followed in his mother’s footsteps, becoming boarding master and then headmaster at Lubwa Mission from 1943 to 1945. He worked at the Salisbury and Bindura mines and in 1948 became a teacher in Mufurila for the United Missions to the Copperbelt. But he soon began to show an active interest in politics. In 1949 he returned to Lubwa to become a part-time teacher, but resigned in 1951 and became Organising Secretary for Northern Rhodesia of the Northern Rhodesian African National Congress. In 1953 he moved to Lusaka to take up the post of Secretary General. In 1958 Kaunda broke from the organisation and formed the Zambian Africa National Congress (ZANC). ZANC was banned in March 1959 and in June Kaunda was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, which he spent first in Lusaka then in Harare. Kaunda was released in 1960 and elected president of the United National Independence Party, the successor to ZANC. He organised a civil disobedience campaign in Northern Province, the so called Cha-cha-cha campaign, which consisted of burning schools and blocking roads. In 1964 he was appointed Prime Minister and, later the same year, became the first President of independent Zambia. In 1966, the University of Zambia was opened in Lusaka and Kaunda was appointed Chancellor. During his early presidency he was an outspoken supporter of the anti- apartheid movement. He allowed several African liberation organisations, including ZAPU and ZANU of Rhodesia and the African National Congress, to set up headquarters in Zambia. Kaunda left office when he was defeated by Frederick Chiluba in multi-party elections in 1991. He retired from politics after he was accused of involvement in a failed 1997 coup attempt. He was awarded an Honourary Doctorate in Law from the universities of Fordham, Dublin, Wales, Windsor (Canada), Sussex, York and Chile and honorary degrees from Humboldt State University in California and the University of Zambia. Since retiring he has been involved in various charities with much of his energy going into the fight against the spread of HIV/Aids – Kaunda lost a son to the disease. Kaunda received the 2007 Ubuntu Award. [email protected] As part of a series on the heroes honoured in eThekwini’s new street and building names, Andile Mnyandu profiles Kenneth Kaunda A pioneer of African liberation OUTSPOKEN: Since retiring from politics Kenneth Kaunda has been an active anti- HIV/Aids campaigner Hope for Quarry Road residents KHAYA SENGANI HUNDREDS of residents of the fire-ravaged Quarry Road informal settlement will sleep more comfortably, thanks to a donation of mattresses by the Municipality’s Disaster Management Department and the Al-Imdaad Foundation. Two residents of the Ward 23 settlement died and 400 were displaced and are living in tents. Area Committee member Robert Mzobe said, “This is a relief because we were really battling to sleep. Rain was getting into the tents and our clothes were soaked.” Al-Imdaad co-ordinator Abed Karrim said, “We cannot allow human beings to suffer when we’re able to help.” Disaster Management’s Wilfred Mkhwanazi said blankets, food parcels, ablution facilities and tents had also been provided. The SA Social Security Agency had supplied food vouchers. Another 50 mattresses were given to residents of the 700- unit Ridgeview Transit Camp in Ward 29. Ward Councillor Lindiwe Ntaka said, “This will bring relief to residents of 18 units destroyed by fire on 26 September.” Camp resident Mfanasi Goge said he appreciated the mattresses, but more food was needed. [email protected] BOUNCING BACK: At a handover of mattresses at Ridgeview Transit Camp were residents Elizabeth Njani and Goge Mfanasi, Councillor Lindiwe Ntaka, Wilfred Mkwanazi of the Disaster Management Department, Abed Karrim of Al-Imdaad and Lugile Shange, a resident Picture: KHAYA SENGANI Municipal ID drive a success SANE SHANDU HUNDREDS of people braved recent cold, rainy weather to take advantage of a Municipality-backed Identity Docu- ment campaign which will enable them to access pensions, grants and other services. The campaign involves Municipal and Home Affairs officials visiting various out- of-the-way areas of eThekwini to help people to apply for IDs. Chairman of the Masa- khane, Grants-in-Aid, Non- Racism and Non-sexism Committee, Councillor Zan- dile Gumede, praised the Municipality for the initiative. “Next year the government will embark on a census programme and local govern- ment elections. “It will be very difficult to conduct such processes if people do not have important documents like IDs,” Gumede said. Brandon Pillay, a commu- nity-based Plan Coordinator in the Municipality’s Com- munity Participation and Action Support Unit, said the ID campaign had been im- plemented with the Depart- ment of Home Affairs to address backlogs in accessing government services. “The engagement of Home Affairs has been a success in bringing services closer to the people. It is critical to ensure that local government is more accessible and accountable,” Pillay said. Ward 1 Councillor Susimpi Ngubane said unemploy- ment, HIV, teenage pregnancy and poverty were major challenges in KwaXimba, in eThekwini’s Outer West. “People are unemployed, transport is very costly and many are unable to go to town to register for IDs. “At times I assist these people using my own money, but I cannot afford to help all of them. This campaign will ease the burden and provide people with documents that will make it easier for them to look for jobs and access important government ser- vices,” Ngubane said. KwaXimba resident Ntombi Ngcobo (87) said, “For so long I have been looking forward to having my own ID, but I was unable to reach Home Affairs offices as transport is expensive. I thank the Municipality for their effort in enabling us to register for IDs. Now I will finally be able to get my pension.” [email protected] HELPING HAND: Lucky Mpithi, of Home Affairs assists 84-year-old KwaXimba resident Bonani Nduli Picture: SANE SHANDU