THE GENERATION THAT BUILT ZAMBIA
Kamanga memorial reignites calls to preserve freedom fighters’ sacrifices, values and history for future generations
By Francis Maingaila ♥️
Lusaka, Zambia24 — 19-09-2026 — Zambia’s independence generation has challenged the country to preserve the history of those who fought for freedom and pass their values of sacrifice, patriotism, unity, integrity and public service to future generations.
Green Economy and Environment Minister Gilbert Siame said the call was particularly urgent as the number of surviving freedom fighters continued to decline, with many now advanced in age.
Mr Siame, who delivered a message on behalf of President Hakainde Hichilema and Government, said Zambia’s independence was not achieved without sacrifice, as men and women endured imprisonment, beatings, torture, exile, separation from their families and loss of personal opportunities in the struggle for freedom.
“Government is not sitting idle. Government is driving the process to honour freedom fighters and ensure that the nation continues to honour and support them,” Mr Siame said.
He said Government was developing a policy framework to guide the manner in which freedom fighters and veterans would be engaged, recognised and supported, including documenting their contributions to the liberation struggle.
Mr Siame said the Freedom Fighters’ Office was already operational and providing a platform through which freedom fighters could engage Government.
“The Freedom Fighters’ Office is already open and running, so there is a place within Government where freedom fighters can engage with Government,” he said.
He said the urgency of the matter could be seen in the condition of many surviving freedom fighters, some of whom now depended on walking sticks.
Mr Siame said the country should not wait until the last freedom fighter had died before recognising the contribution of the generation that secured Zambia's independence.
He said the freedom fighters confronted difficult circumstances with courage, self-sacrifice and a strong conviction that Zambia could and must be free.
“Their generation offered immense dedication and sacrifice. They confronted circumstances and engaged in the struggle to have freedom with great courage, self-sacrifice and an abiding conviction that their nation could and must be free,” Mr Siame said.
He said one of the greatest achievements of that generation was the deliberate forging of national unity among people from different regions, communities, traditions and backgrounds.
“That was a generation that believed that the unity of our Republic was not created by geography alone. It was rather intentionally forged through a shared national project in which citizens from different regions, communities, traditions and backgrounds came together around a common aspiration of freedom,” he said.
Mr Siame said the principle embodied in the motto “One Zambia, One Nation” should continue to guide the country because national unity was one of the foundations upon which Zambia was built.
He said the life of Mr Kamanga provided an example of the principles that guided the independence generation, particularly commitment to public service, national unity and sacrifice.
Mr Kamanga served as Zambia's first Vice-President from October 1964 to October 1967 and subsequently held portfolios including Foreign Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Development.
Mr Siame also credited the late statesman with spearheading the development of Zambia's First National Development Plan, which provided a framework for translating the aspirations of the newly independent country into practical programmes, including industrial development.
“The late Honourable Kamanga spearheaded the development of the First National Development Plan, the plan that provided the framework for translating the aspirations of the new independent Zambia into reality,” he said.
Mr Siame said although three decades had passed since Mr Kamanga's death, his contribution remained part of Zambia's national story.
“Thirty years after his passing, his physical presence is no longer with us, but the chapter of Zambia’s history to which his life contributed immensely remains an enduring part of our national history,” he said.
He urged younger Zambians to protect the unity, peace, sovereignty and dignity of the Republic.
“We remember a generation that believed in a free Zambia. We remember the sacrifices that made independence possible. We remember the responsibility of leadership. And we reaffirm the obligation of every generation to protect the unity, peace, sovereignty and dignity of the Republic of Zambia,” Mr Siame said.
He thanked the Kamanga family, former comrades and all those who worked with the late Vice-President for keeping his memory alive, while also commending the media for helping document the country's history.
Mr Siame said he had personally learnt new aspects of Zambia's history from the tributes delivered at the gathering.
“I have learnt a lot from the speeches that have been given this morning, including some of the things that I missed in school,” he said.
He said the example set by Mr Kamanga and his generation should continue to inspire patriotism and public service.
“May his memory remain permanently inscribed in the history of our nation. May the example of patriotism and public service continue to inspire generations today and for the future,” Mr Siame said.
‘INDEPENDENCE WAS NOT SERVED ON A SILVER PLATTER’
Mrs Wina said some freedom fighters lost their lives or limbs, while others sacrificed education, careers, comfort and opportunities in order to secure freedom.
She said others travelled across countries to represent Zambia's independence movement internationally, carrying the country's aspirations beyond its borders.
“For them, it was a matter of life and death,” Mrs Wina said.
She recalled personally witnessing the lowering of the British flag and the hoisting of the Zambian flag at Independence Stadium on October 24, 1964.
Mrs Wina said the country inherited very little at independence and faced the difficult task of building a national economy from a colonial system whose development priorities had largely benefited Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe.
She said Zambia's mineral wealth had contributed significantly to infrastructure and economic development outside the territory, leaving the new government with the responsibility of building institutions and infrastructure for Zambians.
Mrs Wina said the First Republic under President Kenneth Kaunda therefore placed emphasis on using national resources to develop Zambians and reduce dependence on imports.
She said industrialisation was pursued alongside a deliberate programme of manpower development.
Young Zambians were sent to countries including Britain, the United States and Canada to acquire skills needed to run the new nation, while Government established a ministry responsible for manpower development.
“These are the people who built the foundation on which we stand today,” Mrs Wina said.
She challenged the younger generation to take responsibility for developing their communities and the country rather than leaving nation-building to Government or foreign investors.
“This country will not be built by foreigners who come here simply to establish businesses. Zambia must be carried forward and developed by Zambians themselves,” she said.
Mrs Wina said the generation that fought for independence was now ageing and becoming smaller, making it important for younger Zambians to take forward the work that had been started.
“Our generation has done enough. We are now very few. You have seen that most of us are using walking sticks. That should tell you that we are ageing, but our contribution remains. You must build on what we started,” she said.
She also called for greater national unity, saying political differences should not prevent Zambians from working together.
“Instead of fighting one another as though we come from different countries, we should understand that we are all Zambians and that we must work together to build this country,” Mrs Wina said.
Mrs Wina further challenged universities, historians and other institutions entrusted with preserving national heritage to document the stories of people who contributed to the liberation struggle, saying history should not focus only on prominent political figures.
“There is so much history in this country that has not been properly documented,” she said.
She said the human cost of the liberation struggle, including deaths, injuries and sacrifices made by families, should also be recorded so that future generations could understand what independence meant to those who fought for it.
CHONA REMEMBERS A HUMBLE BUT RESILIENT KAMANGA
Former diplomat and public servant Mark Chona described Mr Kamanga as a humble, loyal and resilient nationalist whose contribution to Zambia's liberation and public service remained deeply etched in the memories of those who worked with him.
Mr Chona said his first encounter with Mr Kamanga was during the independence struggle in 1963, when he was serving as a district officer.
He said Mr Kamanga was then campaigning for the nationalist movement and stayed at his home while touring the area ahead of the January 1964 elections.
Mr Chona said despite Mr Kamanga's senior political position, he was remarkably simple in his conduct.
“I was deeply impressed by his full demeanour and pleasant character. He was always gentle, but that gentleness had a great strength and resilience,” Mr Chona said.
He recalled that Mr Kamanga would leave early in the morning with packed food and return in the evening to report on the people he had met during his campaign.
“Every morning we packed lunch for him. On his return in the evening, he would give me a good report on the people he had met,” he said.
Mr Chona said the extensive tour helped generate support for the nationalist movement and contributed to the January 1964 election victory that paved the way for independence.
After independence, Mr Chona said he worked with Mr Kamanga when the latter became the country's first Vice-President, while he served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said Mr Kamanga was a man of exceptional memory and recalled occasions when communication failures could have disrupted official engagements.
According to Mr Chona, on three occasions official communication failed to deliver speeches that Mr Kamanga was expected to present, but the former Vice-President was able to deliver the speeches accurately because he had remembered their contents.
Mr Chona said Mr Kamanga's loyalty to President Kaunda and the nationalist cause was accompanied by frankness, a strong personality and an ability to express himself directly.
He also recalled the former Vice-President's strong sense of humour.
Mr Chona narrated an incident from the independence struggle in which Mr Kamanga had been arrested, as well as a later encounter in Botswana at a meat-processing facility.
He also recalled the Lancaster House constitutional talks involving President Kaunda and then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Mr Chona said tension during the talks was eased by Mr Kamanga's humour after Mrs Thatcher reportedly told Lord Carrington, “Peter, fasten your seat belt.”
Mr Kamanga responded with a humorous reference to “no smoking”, according to Mr Chona.
“That was Honourable Kamanga’s sense of humour,” he said.
Mr Chona said Mr Kamanga served Zambia in many different capacities and left a lasting impression on the people he encountered.
“Honourable Kamanga served the nation in many diverse functions and his service remains indelibly printed in the minds and hearts of the people,” he said.
He also encouraged members of the Kamanga family to preserve the humility associated with their father, saying he had seen that quality reflected in the family.
“The reflections that bring about that characteristic of humility, I personally have seen it shining through my friends,” Mr Chona said.
He concluded his tribute by thanking the family for the opportunity to remember the late Vice-President.
“I love you and I thank you for this opportunity,” he said.
ROSE BANDA CALLS FOR KAMANGA’S CONTRIBUTION TO BE RECOGNISED
UNIP veteran Rose Banda called for renewed national recognition of Mr Kamanga's contribution to Zambia's liberation struggle and rural development.
Mrs Banda said she joined the nationalist movement at the age of 21 and witnessed first-hand the commitment of the generation that fought for independence.
She said the leaders of that era were motivated by the desire to see a united and free Zambia rather than personal financial gain.
“Those leaders of those days were selfless. Today, we are in a free nation and we must preserve that legacy,” Mrs Banda said.
She said the nationalist leaders succeeded because they were able to bring different forces together around the common objective of independence.
“If those leaders had refused to unite at that time, there would have been no independence of this country,” she said.
Mrs Banda expressed concern that modern politics had become increasingly expensive, with financial considerations sometimes overshadowing dedication to national service.
“We have to pay to organise political parties, we have to pay, so there is no dedication to the motherland. That is why we rush for money instead of thinking about what we must do for the nation,” she said.
She called for the families and contributions of founding leaders to be remembered and documented.
“I can tell you, having this occasion will resurrect the history of Rubenstatica Kamanga, so that his history is heard loudly in this nation,” Mrs Banda said.
Mrs Banda said she had served in various portfolios at Freedom House, including committees dealing with rural development, and recalled Mr Kamanga's role in that area.
“He was the one who chaired the Rural Development Committee. That is why you saw those rural construction centres. It was because of Ruben Kamanga,” she said.
She said all those who participated in the struggle for freedom deserved to be remembered, with their stories preserved for children and future generations.
FREEDOM FIGHTERS DEMAND GREATER EFFORT TO PRESERVE HISTORY
Zambia United Freedom Fighters National Coordinator Partwell Chigayo Mhlanga said the dwindling number of surviving freedom fighters made it urgent for the country to record their experiences before they were lost.
Mr Mhlanga, who represented national chairman Mr Marusa Moma Jairway at the gathering, said the generation that fought for independence was remarkably young when it assumed responsibility for building the new Republic.
He said Mr Kamanga was only 43 when he was appointed Zambia's first Vice-President in 1964.
“At the time of independence, most of our national leaders were very young. Many were under the age of 45. Mr Ruben Kamanga was appointed as the first Vice President at the age of 43,” Mr Mhlanga said.
He said young Zambians needed to understand that independence did not come easily, as freedom fighters faced imprisonment, beatings, torture, exile and separation from their families.
Some operated outside the country, including in places such as Cairo, Egypt, as they worked to advance the independence cause.
Mr Mhlanga said the men and women involved in the struggle were not motivated by expectations of financial payment.
“These men and women did not fight for independence because they expected to be paid. They sacrificed their time, their comfort and, in many cases, their lives because they believed Zambia deserved to be free,” he said.
He said freedom fighters served the country because of their belief in Zambia rather than personal reward.
“We must remember that our freedom fighters served this country without demanding payment. They did what they did because they believed in Zambia,” Mr Mhlanga said.
He called for investment not only in Zambia's economic development but also in preserving its history.
“We often talk about investing in Zambia. We must also invest in preserving the history of Zambia because our young people need to know where this country came from and who made sacrifices for the freedom we enjoy today,” he said.
Mr Mhlanga said there were now very few surviving freedom fighters, making it necessary to listen to them, record their testimonies and preserve their memories while there was still time.
“There are now very few of those freedom fighters still alive. That is why we must listen to them, record their stories and preserve their memories for future generations,” he said.
He said the commemoration of Mr Kamanga provided an opportunity not only to honour his life but also to reflect on the values and sacrifices of the wider generation that fought for Zambia's independence.
‘OUR GIANT’ — KAMANGA’S SON
Madaliso Kamanga, son of the late Vice-President, said his father's contribution could not be measured by whether major public infrastructure had been named after him.
Mr Kamanga described his father as a giant whose influence continued to live through his family and the values he left behind.
He recalled an experience around 1990 that demonstrated his father's humility.
“I remember in 1990, there was a time when I saw the humility in this man. The vehicle he had was taken away, and there was only one small car at home, which was mainly for Mum. Dad would simply get on a bus,” Mr Kamanga said.
He said his father would sit proudly in the bus, with his hand by the window, even as people recognised him and made jokes about the former Vice-President using public transport.
“He would sit proudly in the bus and put his hand by the window, and you would see him going to town. People would make jokes about it, but he was able to smile,” he said.
Mr Kamanga said his father appeared comfortable with his circumstances because he believed he had already served his country.
He said the family's assessment of Mr Kamanga's legacy went beyond physical monuments.
“Yes, we know that others may have toll gates, airports and other big infrastructure named after them. Dad may not have had one of those big infrastructures named after him, but in our hearts, he is our giant,” Mr Kamanga said.
He thanked Government for measures aimed at supporting former Vice-Presidents and their widows, and expressed gratitude to those who attended the memorial gathering.
GRANDCHILDREN PLEDGE TO CARRY ON THE LEGACY
Mr Kamanga's grandchild, Mwai Zulu, said the younger generation had a responsibility to preserve the family legacy through hard work, perseverance, generosity and unity.
Ms Zulu described his grandfather as more than a provider, saying he had been an anchor for the family.
Se said the foundation established by Mr Kamanga more than three decades ago continued to support successive generations.
“The foundation he built more than 30 years ago is the ground we still stand on today as a family,” Ms Zulu said.
She described the family as a “living garden” in which younger generations continued to reflect the values planted by their grandfather.
Ms Zulu said some grandchildren and great-grandchildren knew their grandfather mainly through photographs and stories, making the preservation of those memories particularly important.
“My grandfather was someone who worked hard, not just to provide, but to uplift everyone around him,” she said.
She said Mr Kamanga had a way of making people around him feel valued and unique.
Ms Zulu said the family would honour his memory not merely through words but through the way they lived.
“We feel honoured to be part of your legacy and to walk in the footsteps of someone who left such a deep imprint on our lives,” she said.
She concluded by assuring his grandfather that the family would continue to remember and cherish him.
“You are missed and truly cherished. We love you, and we will remember you always. You will forever live in our hearts,” Ms Zulu said.
KAPULU ASKS HISTORIANS: ‘WHERE ARE OUR HISTORIANS?’
Family friend Vudence Bautius Kapulu challenged historians and older Zambians to urgently document the country's history before the people who experienced it directly were no longer available to tell it.
Mr Kapulu said younger generations were increasingly losing touch with the people and events that shaped Zambia's independence and early years as a Republic.
He questioned why more effort had not been made to document the lives of people who played significant roles in the country's history.
“Where are our historians?” Mr Kapulu asked.
He said history risked being lost if the experiences of people who lived through the independence struggle and the formative years of the Republic were not recorded.
Mr Kapulu said people such as Mr Kamanga and the generation around him should be remembered not merely as names in political history but as people whose decisions and sacrifices shaped the nation.
He also reflected on the political challenges of the independence period, including tensions within the nationalist movement and contests over political positions.
Mr Kapulu said Mr Kamanga demonstrated that national service could be placed above personal political ambitions.
He recalled that after losing a political contest, Mr Kamanga pledged to remain loyal and serve the country in whatever capacity the President required.
Mr Kapulu described that conduct as an example of patriotism and political maturity.
He said the unity Zambia inherited at independence should not be taken for granted.
Mr Kapulu also spoke about his personal relationship with Mr Kamanga, saying the late statesman affectionately called him “Bamboo” and entrusted his children to people around him.
“That’s the man we are celebrating with life today,” he said.
He said the failure to preserve such memories was particularly worrying because some young people could no longer identify the men and women who fought for independence.
Mr Kapulu said the country was at risk of losing an important part of its history if action was not taken.
“This young generation is being lost,” he said.
He therefore urged historians and older Zambians to record their experiences while witnesses were still alive.
Mr Kapulu also appealed to younger people to care for their parents and elderly relatives.
“Take care of your mother,” he urged.
He said the preservation of national history should go hand in hand with the preservation of family values and national unity.
“We are one nation, one people,” Mr Kapulu said.
He thanked the Kamanga family for organising the memorial gathering in honour of the late statesman.
“Thank you very much for organising this occasion to remember RCK ‘Bamboo’ Kalanga. God bless you,” he said.
NYIRENDA URGES FAMILY TO PRESERVE INTEGRITY AND HARD WORK
Charles Nyirenda urged members of the Kamanga family to preserve the values of integrity, hard work and merit that he said were among the most important parts of the late statesman's legacy.
Speaking on behalf of the brothers and sisters, Mr Nyirenda said the gathering itself demonstrated the love and respect the family continued to have for their parents.
“It is not easy to organise such a gathering. It is out of love for our parents and the values that were planted in us,” he said.
Mr Nyirenda said his mother was Mr Kamanga's elder sister, making him the late statesman's first nephew.
He recalled an occasion when he wanted to secure a government position and approached Mr Kamanga expecting his uncle's influence to help him.
Instead, Mr Kamanga challenged him to pursue the position on merit.
“He was very tough. He told me it was not like that and that I had to aim for the position, not simply expect to get it. He asked me what qualifications I had,” Mr Nyirenda said.
He said the experience demonstrated the late Vice-President's commitment to fairness and his refusal to use public influence to advance relatives who had not met the required qualifications.
Mr Nyirenda urged the family to continue demonstrating those principles in their own lives.
“Let us continue to show the legacy that our father left in this world,” he said.
PHIRI CALLS FOR DEDICATED OFFICE FOR LIBERATION VETERANS
Veteran Bennie Phiri called on Government to consider establishing a dedicated ministry or department to deal with the welfare and interests of liberation veterans and surviving dependants.
Mr Phiri said such an institutional framework would give Government a clear mechanism through which Parliament could appropriate resources for people who participated in the liberation struggle and those they left behind.
“Perhaps we can consider having a ministry or an appendage of one of the ministries which will specifically look after the interests of veterans who also fought for liberation and those that they have left behind,” Mr Phiri said.
Speaking at the commemorative gathering, Mr Phiri reflected on Zambia's political history and the composition of the country's first Cabinet after independence.
He said although he was only three months old when Zambia became independent in October 1964, he considered himself an active participant in the broader history and struggle that produced independence.
Mr Phiri recalled that the First Cabinet under President Kenneth Kaunda was highly representative and included leaders from different parts of the country.
He listed the first Vice-President as Ruben Kamanga, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Kapwepwe, Mines Minister Justin Chimba, Education Minister John Mwanakatwe, Transport and Works Minister Alexander Grey Zulu, Housing and Social Development Minister Elijah Mudenda, Home Affairs Minister Matthias Mainza Chona, Finance Minister Arthur Wina, Local Government Minister Sikota Wina, Health Minister Munukayumbwa Sipalo, Commerce and Industry Minister Nalumino Mundia, Information and Postal Minister Peter Matoka, Lands and Natural Resources Minister Solomon Kalulu, and Legal Affairs Minister James Skinner.
Mr Phiri said remembering the country's founding leaders should also include naming major national institutions and infrastructure after them.
He cited examples from neighbouring countries, including Kenya's Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University near Kisumu and Botswana's Ketumile Masire teaching hospital in Gaborone.
He questioned why Zambia could not similarly honour Mr Kamanga through a major national facility.
“Why can’t we name an international airport Ruben Kamanga International Airport?” Mr Phiri asked.
He noted that Zambia already had airports named after other prominent nationalist leaders, including Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula Airport and Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe Airport.
Mr Phiri said naming public institutions after national figures was not simply about monuments but about keeping the country's history alive.
He said the legacy of the independence generation should remain visible to future generations and continue to remind citizens of the sacrifices that made Zambia possible.
‘GOODNESS IS NOT JUST A WORD’ — REV. BANDA
Presiding Minister Dr Daniel S Banda described the late former First Vice-President as a “good man”, saying his goodness should be understood not simply as politeness but as sacrificial care, protection, humility and integrity.
Dr Banda was speaking during the memorial service attended by members of the Kamanga family, friends, former colleagues and others who had worked with the late statesman.
Drawing from 1 Samuel 25:14-15, where Abigail's servant described David's men as good because they had protected and treated people well, Dr Banda said the biblical understanding of goodness involved action.
“Goodness in this passage does not mean being polite. People can be polite and are not good,” Dr Banda said.
He said true goodness involved protective and sacrificial care, pointing to the biblical account that David's men had protected people day and night.
Dr Banda said the tributes delivered during the memorial, together with his own interaction with members of the Kamanga family, demonstrated that the late statesman had embodied those qualities.
“From the tributes, from the speeches, you can tell. The interaction I’ve had with the Kamangas, you can tell that this man was a good man,” he said.
He also drew on philosophical reflections associated with Plato and Socrates concerning goodness, virtue and knowledge, saying good people influence the lives of those around them by providing direction, understanding and opportunities to grow.
Dr Banda told the Kamanga family that their very existence and achievements were evidence of the care their father had provided.
“When I look at the Kamangas, I say you are existing. I saw you here because there’s a good man who took care of you. He gave you existence,” he said.
He said Mr Kamanga had taken his children to school, protected them and provided them with the intellectual foundation that enabled them to become who they were.
“He took you to school — a good man. He protected you — a good man. He gave you this intelligence, the kind of thinking that has made you to be what you are today — a good man,” Dr Banda said.
He challenged those attending the memorial not to simply celebrate Mr Kamanga's life but to learn from it.
“You cannot just go about celebrating the great life of Kamanga if you are not picking lessons,” he said.
Dr Banda urged the family and wider society to take the values associated with Mr Kamanga and turn them into a pattern of conduct for future generations.
“If he had values, if he was a man full of humility, if he was a good man, how about picking these values and making a pattern, passing these lessons?” he asked.
He particularly highlighted integrity, saying people should respect what belongs to others and refuse to take advantage of those entrusted to their care.
Dr Banda said the essence of goodness was therefore not merely in words but in how people treated, protected and served others.
He linked the message to the biblical teaching in Galatians 6:10, which calls on believers to do good whenever they have the opportunity.
“Goodness is not just a word,” Dr Banda said.
The memorial gathering therefore ended not only as a remembrance of Reuben Chitandika Kamanga but as a wider reflection on the generation that built the foundations of independent Zambia and the responsibility of those who came after them to preserve its history, values and national unity.
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