HARRY MWAANGA NKUMBULA FOUNDATION TO RE-EXAMINE ZAMBIA’S HISTORY NEXT WEEK
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 President 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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
She emphasized that the conference aims to revisit narratives of the independence fight for political freedom.
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.
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.
For more details, tune in to Byta FM 90.3/100.3/101.9