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I have confidence in Africa’s
progress
During his stay in Cuba, former
Zambian President and African independence leader
Kenneth Kaunda expressed his opinions on the
continent’s unity and development to the national
press
Claudia Fonseca Sosa
KENNETH Kaunda, now 89 years of age, comes across as
a cheerful, unassuming man, and one who likes to
sing. Known as the father of Zambian independence
and its first president after liberation from the
British metropolis, he affirmed in Havana that lack
of unity can detain the development of a state or
continent.
At
the head of the United National Independence Party,
Kaunda led Zambia (formerly Northern Rhodesia) from
1964 to 1991, when he lost the elections to
Frederick Chiluba.
One
two occasions, he was President of the Organization
of African Unity (OAU), the predecessor of the
African Union (AU), organizations which, in his
opinion, have contributed to creating a consensus on
issues affecting the entire continent and promoting
economic cooperation.
“Unity was the fundamental factor which propitiated
the 2002 founding of the AU, a mechanism which still
has challenges to overcome, such as combating
poverty and all the ills derived from it in a more
efficient manner,” he observed.
“African peoples need to continue fighting to end
the exploitation of human beings by human beings,”
Kaunda, an opponent of capitalist and imperialist
exploitation, emphasized.
Speaking to the Prensa Latina news agency,
Kaunda stated that lines of work exist in Africa to
alleviate all these problems, while its vast
potential in mineral resources and agriculture could
be more utilized.
He
affirmed, “The new African leaders are ready to
unite and continue the struggle of their
predecessors to defeat the common enemies of
humanity,” which he defined as hunger, ignorance,
crime and corruption, among others.
Kaunda was an outstanding figure in African
struggles for independence from colonialism and
against apartheid. His statements against any form
of racial discrimination or segregation have
contributed to the desire to attain endogenous and
inclusive development in African nations.
“We
must remain faithful to the principles of equality
for which we decided to come together in the OAU, in
1963. The struggle continues and our victory is
assured,” he affirmed.
He
came to know the leader of the Cuban Revolution,
Fidel Castro, during those years of struggle and
believes that he has a lot in common with him, given
that, “Both of us very much understood the world in
our own manner and have fought human exploitation.”
“Fidel’s fortitude makes us feel proud,” he
commented to this reporter a few hours after his
arrival in Cuba, a country which he perceives as “a
marvelous center for human development.”
“There are no words to describe
our gratitude for all that Cuba has done for the
liberation and development of our peoples,” affirmed
the African leader, who was decorated in Havana with
the Order of Solidarity awarded by the Council of
State.
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