By Emmanuel Chilekwa
HICHILEMA SENDS OLD PANJI AS AMBASSADOR TO MALAWI, LAND OF HIS FOREFATHERS
■ Bally’s “New Dawn” government continues to shun the youths in preference for old, retired legs
The self-touted “New Dawn” government which is practically anchored to giving new jobs to old retired legs, continues shunning and shunting the youthful “freedom fighters” in preference for retired ancients, making the acclaim for “new dawn” come out as “old sunset” and not new dawn as it were.
It’s 118 years after Colonel Panji Kaunda’s grandfather left Malawi in 1904 for then Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), President Hakainde Hichilema has sent him back to the land of his forefathers as Zambia’s Ambassador to Malawi.
Panji, 75, the country’s oldest affluent orphan, now becomes Ambassador to Malawi at the expense of loyal, expectant and hardworking UPND freedom fighters who desperately needed such appointment.
Panji has been fortunate to enjoy his father’s 27 years in power as Republican President until 1991, a chapter with the PF (deputy minister works and supply) when it reigned and now the ruling UPND government.
Retired old Panji, 75, has been rewarded at the expense of the youthful citizens who worked tirelessly for the UPND victory last August. Among many others, some of the notable UPND “freedom fighters” still shunned, shunted and forgotten about include journalist Kalani Muchima, Iron Lady – Ruth Dante and motivational speaker and entrepreneur, Mubita Nawa.
Without hesitation, I can vouch for my son Kalani Muchima who suffered personal house break ins on several occasions (and shifted from.one house to another in quest of elusive safety from political thugs) , lost several jobs on account of promoting UPND and HH including ducking bullets in his sojourn coverage of President Hakainde Hichilema. It would not be a bad idea to send my son Kalani to ZNBC after all. Minister of information and media, Honourable Chushi Kasanda is aware but I just wonder why she’s still not moving to make my son a happy freedom fighter too.
Eight months on, prominent and notable youthful freedom fighters rewarded so far include Pilato (Chama Fumba) and activist Laura Miti.
The appointment has not come as a surprise. Last year, in January, Col. Panji Kaunda issued frightening statement claiming that the August 2021 elections would be the bloodiest. This of course was made to appease then opposition leader of UPND, Hakainde Hichilema.
Panji, now 75 years is the oldest orphan to Zambia’s first Repuclican President, late Kenneth David Kaunda, fondly referred to as KK.
KK, was declared stateless between 1999 and 2000 by the MMD government given his parents’ Malawian heritage.
So, for Panji going to Malawi as Ambassador, he has simply gone to home of his forefathers.
His father, KK, left behind a rich history. Kenneth Kaunda was the first president of Zambia. He 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 Salisbury (which is now Harare), at the ‘Salisbury Bindura Mines’. In 1948 became a teacher in Mufulira, 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).
In 1959, Kaunda broke away from the ANC and formed his own party, the Zambian 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.