Sylvester Mwamba Chisembele and his brush with undemocratic rule By Shalala Oliver Sepiso When the PF had its first and only ever party convention in Kabwe in July 2011, and it was announced that the leaders of the party would be selected by the President of the party, eyebrows were raised. However, this is not the first time such a political phenomenon happened. At the August 1962 UNIP Magoye General Conference, it was decided that UNIP leaders would be appointed by Kaunda alone. This did not augur well with Sylvester Mwamba Chisembele who had been imprisoned five times already for his fight for equality and democracy and had worked his socks out in Mansa to ensure that UNIP was strong there using his own money and his business: in a strategic move in 1962, UNIP decided to allow Kaunda, then UNIP’s president, to stand in Luapula (The move was motivated by Chisembele’s superior organization skills and proven leadership success.) This highest degree of political organisation prompted the UNIP National Council to select the Party President, Mr. K.D. Kaunda, to stand in the Luapula constituency in the ensuing controversial 1962 Ian McLeod 15, 15, 15 Constitution and Mr Chisembele was asked to be his election Agent. Mr. Chisembele asked Mr. Kaunda to campaign for UNIP candidates in other provinces, since he, Mr. Chisembele, was able to deliver all the Luapula seats to UNIP. Mr Chisembele was a democrat of great repute and distinction. At the earliest stages of freedom fighting he allowed democratic elections at all levels of the party under his domain. For this reason Luapula Province delegation at the UNIP Magoye Conference stubbornly opposed democratic centralism whereby political leaders were to be appointed by one man. Mr Chisembele registered that opposition in a fierce protest but as a professed democrat he accepted the pusillanimity of the rest of the provincial delegations. However, things for Chisembele began to turn sour when he registered his disapproval for the leaders of the party to be chosen, inter alia, by one person. This challenge to Kaunda’s undemocratic tendencies cost Chisembele senior government positions after independence. For this stance he was never pardoned and at Independence, notwithstanding his unequalled contribution to freedom fighting, he was invited into Government as a junior Minister to Mr. Elijah Mudenda who held the Agriculture Portfolio. On the 12 March 1959 Mr Chisembele was arrested and detained at Kalabo,in the Barotse Province, now Western Province, for 9 months under the restriction order of Governor Sir Arthur Benson. In his absence, Mr Chisembele’s 3-roomed Restaurant and 2-roomed Bakery were demolished. All the property, equipment and building materials were taken away to the Public Works Department depot. It was never known what happened to the property after that. His source of livelihood was gone for the sake of freedom for Zambia. History repeated itself, from 1993 to 1997 both his restaurants were expropriated and his farm destroyed and repossessed by government. In October 2004 it was published in the press and stated in Gazette Notice No. 640 dated 22nd October 2004, that he had been awarded the Order of the Eagle of Zambia 4th Division, this was a lie. Mr Chisembele had refused to accept the Award, on principle, as he could not accept an Award from a Government that has persecuted him, confiscated his property and denied him his human rights. When he died in 2005, the mourning and burial of this great National Hero were not acknowledged or attended by any Government representative or any active or serving politician. The usual tribute and respect paid to Freedom Fighters, Leaders of his stature, were denied.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 14:43:45 +0000
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