The Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula Foundation says Zambia’s history has been predominantly narrated from the perspective of those who assumed leadership at independence, often overlooking or distorting the contributions of others.
Foundation Chairperson Ompie Nkumbula Liebenthal announced that the organization, in collaboration with the Southern African Institute for Policy and Research (SAIPAR), will host a conference on October 21 and 22, 2024, at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre to address these historical inaccuracies.
The event will be held with support from the Government of Ireland – International Development Programme and the UK International Development.
She stated that following the official launch of the Foundation by the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, in April this year, the Foundation has drawn up programs and activities to be implemented this year, next year, and in the years to come.
Mrs. Liebenthal said the activities will include an annual lecture, a scholars program, public seminars and conferences, and research.
She added that the Foundation may award educational bursaries, especially to the girl child, in honor of Harry Nkumbula’s lifelong support for education.
Mrs. Liebenthal said plans are also in place to establish a library and documentation center on the life and legacy of Harry Nkumbula.
She, however, said the Foundation is still in its infancy and is fundraising to get its projects off the ground.
Mrs. Liebenthal noted that the conference coincides with Zambia’s commemoration of its 60th year of independence next week on October 24, 2024.
The theme of the conference is “Forgotten Heroes and Heroines of Zambia’s Independence Struggle.”
Mrs. Liebenthal added that the Foundation will host an exhibition on the struggle for independence at the National Archives in Lusaka, starting on October 27, 2024.
“The conference, which will be attended by more than 60 people, will include scholars, former freedom fighters, surviving veterans of the independence struggle, surviving children of freedom fighters, and some ordinary citizens. The media will also be invited to cover and attend the conference, as they play a crucial role in educating and informing the public on subjects crucial to the country’s political development,” she said.
Mrs . Liebenthal emphasized that the conference aims to revisit narratives of the independence fight for political freedom.
“Several papers will be presented at the conference over the two days, addressing topics such as the role of forgotten heroes and heroines from a historical perspective, remembering the pioneers of Zambia’s fight for political freedom, bringing to life the contributions of obscure freedom fighters, the role of women in the liberation struggle, and the significance of places and events such as some of the landmarks of the struggle for independence,” she said.
Mrs. Liebenthal said there will also be reflections on how the legacy of the struggle for independence has impacted current Zambian politics, especially regarding tribalism, politics of exclusion, the habit of hero-worshipping leaders, and the building of personality cults.
She stressed that conversations on the lessons to draw from Zambia’s independence struggle have been ongoing for a very long time but are rarely coordinated or even counter-narratives to the role played by such names.
“As a result, children and grandchildren know little about the role played by others in the fight for political freedom. This conference aims to bring to the fore some of those forgotten heroes and heroines so that they are also celebrated and deservedly find their place in the country’s political history,” she said.
Mrs. Liebenthal highlighted the need to democratize history so that diverse narratives on the nationalist movement and the struggle for independence are embraced and become part of the collective memory.
