Kenneth Kaunda’s ‘Witch Doctor’

Kenneth Kaunda’s ‘Witch Doctor’

By Nkonkomalimba Kapumpe

Growing up we heard  many rumours and mysteries about KK’s spirituality, some are very funny stories like making Kavindele’s private parts disappear and later restored  when he wanted to stand against KK in UNIP . I would love to hear ba Kavindele’s side of the story, if it is even true.

There were also stories  of a certain room at State House that no one apart from KK was allowed to enter “The temple”, legend has it that people died or went mad when they entered that room.

The Guru behind all these mysteries surrounding KK was called Ranganathan. Yes, some of the stories were true and Francis Kaunda one of the many close friends and comrades of KK breifing mentions this   in his Book ” Things to Remember Not to forget”. 

Francis Kaunda was a highly educated man in Zambia, Ghana and the USA. Having served as secretary to the Cabinet, chairman for ZCCM and a close confidante of KK; that at one time he used his personal expenses to book a hotel room for Mama betty Kaunda in London for almost a year when she and KK were on separation over a dispute regarding their son.

KK had promised not to save Panji  if he was found guilty by the courts, that’s another story for another day. ” I will sign the death warrant as President and later sit down to mourn him as a father” KK’s Powerful words for all to emulate.

Francis Kaunda narrates that President Kaunda’s spirituality was exploited by the Guru Ranganathan, to an extent that at one  point Kaunda could do nothing except if the Guru okeyed it. From the Book one can tell the Francis holds back so much on this subject that you have to read between the lines, because of his love and respect for KK expressed throughout the Book.

There was a reason for KK’s relationship with the Guru.Just after independence, KK was diagnosed with an illness at Lusaka General Hospital then.He then went to The United Kingdom and diagnosis was confirmed, and he was not given long to live. He later visited India, but came back without the illness. Some government officials become aware of this and started positioning themselves for succession.

But life being what it’s, the Guru Ranganathan appeared in KK’s life. Ranganathan came to Zambia as a teacher in Southern Province guided by a vision he saw in india about Kaunda, under unexplained circumstances fate allowed them to meet  . It’s is said Ranganathan is the man who “prayed” and cured KK of his illness. After that KK believed him to be a man of Great Powers.

It is narrated that the great Guru Ranganathan was so powerful that he prophesied the 1980 coup 10 years before it happened, stating the month in which it would happen and the names of those who would be involved. This information was recorded and put in a safe.
When the attempted coup took place time 10 years later as prophesied by Ranganathan, the safe was opened and all the alleged plotters were picked up. Proof of this is that there was no actual investigation of this plot, people were picked up and some confessed to the details of the plot, while others were released because there was no evidence linking them to its planning.

But for all his purported power, surprisingly, two weeks before the 1991 elections, Ranganathan fled Zambia for the UK where he settled in a plush mansion in Hendon, purchased for by Tiny Rowland.

There are many  stories, rumors and mysteries about KK that are linked to Ranganathan. Some former Ministers have mentioned how KK would suddenly  appear at certain meetings whenever they wanted to discuss him in a bad light lol.

This is how spirituality started at State House, in fact when KK left State House, there were prayers and fasting conducted by most prominent pastors, many of them still still alive today. Some of the names mentioned  to have participated in these prayers is bishop Joshua Band of Northmead  Assemblies .I would really love to hear his story and what exactly they were praying for.

To date State House is believed to be an extremely spiritual place, of all the former Presidents only RB seemed comfortable living there after Kaunda. Even today the President is rumoured to have been advised not to move there by his “advisors”. This story is contained in a comic article I have posted before about the monkeys at State House lol

I pray that Government invests in our history and make such books as the one by Francis Kaunda a national historical archive. This is so much we need to learn about our history. The book is mainly about Mining policies and KK’s leadership, some of the things we are even facing today but I found the Ranganathan story too interesting.

Even today 80% Zambia MPs are spiritualist. I know them chaps but those are stories for my or our Children, you can be sued.