Before The Diplomat, There Was A Rebel:
HOW VERNON MWAANGA JOINED THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AT JUST 17 YEARS OLD.
Did you know that veteran diplomat and politician, Vernon Mwaanga, joined the struggle for independence at just 17 years old, completely turning down a traditional working career to serve the nation?
In this captivating excerpt from Conversations with Memorable Personalities (Part 1), Mwaanga takes us back to 1961. He shares his deeply personal decision to join the youth wing of UNIP, bypassing the political party his father belonged to, ANC, in pursuit of a fiercer fight against colonial rule.
But his journey didn’t stop at Zambia’s borders. By 1963, a youth leadership program took him across 20 states in a highly segregated America. There, he forged lifelong friendships with legendary figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Harry Belafonte, and Sidney Poitier—even convincing the Hollywood icons to visit Zambia in 1972!
***
Amos Malupenga: So, what happened when you graduated in 1961, did you work anywhere?
Vernon Mwaanga: Well, I didn’t work anywhere. I decided, on the basis of the influence I got from my father, that I should sacrifice work and offer my services to the struggle for independence by joining the youth wing of UNIP.
Although my father was ANC, I never joined ANC myself because it was my judgement at the time that the ANC was showing a lot of weakness in terms of confronting the colonialists. I had been a member of the Zambia African National Congress when ZANC was formed before UNIP came into existence.
After ZANC was banned as you know, Kenneth Kaunda was put in prison with some of the other leaders who were restricted in various district centres in the country. …
Malupenga: Finally, Zambia got independence, what happened?
Mwaanga: Before independence in January 1963, I was selected by UNIP to go to the United States of America on a youth leadership program. This was a three month program and as a result of that program, I was able to visit 20 states of the United States.
And I was able to meet people like Martin Luther King in Atlanta, Malcom X in New
York and I met a number of other civil rights activists, those who were involved in fighting for equal rights in America and the abolition of segregation particularly in the south.
I also met Jessie Jackson who was one of the young priests surrounding Martin Luther King. Andy Young was another.
And on the other side, we had other radicals like Rap Brown, Stockley Carmichael and
Angela Davis. I also ran into people like Dick Gregory who was a very famous comedian.
I met [civil rights activist, singner and actor] Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier [another renowened actor and author] who later became very close friends of mine and who managed to visit Zambia [in 1972] at my invitation to come and see what my country looked like.
After my program, I returned to Zambia and carried on as regional secretary for
Choma and Namwala. …”
***
Picture caption: Vernon Mwaanga (far right) with the late Sydney Poiter and Harry Belafonte (far left) at Lusaka International Airport when the late Hollywood stars visited Zambia for six days in May 1972 at Mwaanga’s invitation.