Humana People to People is saddened with the passing on of the first president of the Republic of Zambia, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda. We extend our deep and heartfelt condolences to President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, to the Kaunda Family and to the People of Zambia.
Humana People to People’s connection with Dr. Kenneth Kaunda goes back to
our very start in the late 1970ies, when the liberation struggles were still ongoing – in Zimbabwe, later on in Namibia, and finally with the ending of apartheid in South Africa.
Allow us to use KK, as we always did when we talked about him.
For the countries still under colonial rule and for the newly independent Angola
and Mozambique, KK was the veteran statesman and a pillar of unwavering solidarity, always supporting first the struggle for independence, and then the struggle for peace. We all know that it did not come without a cost for Zambia, and we share the gratefulness to Zambia with the peoples of the countries, who benefited from KK’s and Zambia’s support.
We share below our full condolence message:
To
His Excellency
The President of Zambia, E.C. Lungu
To the
Kaunda Family June 2021
On behalf of the Humana People to People Movement, we send our deepest condolences to His Excellency, to the Kaunda Family and to the People of Zambia for the loss of His Excellency, the First President of Zambia, Dr. Kenneth D. Kaun- da.
We send this message of condolences from Humana People to People’s International Headquarters in Zimbabwe, from where we support our 29 member associations working in 45 countries and reaching 12 million people every year, through development projects within agriculture, environment, community development, health and education.
Humana People to People’s connection with Dr. Kenneth Kaunda goes back to our very start in the late 1970ies, when the liberation struggles were still ongoing – in Zimbabwe, later on in Namibia, and finally with the ending of apartheid in South Africa.
Allow us to use KK, as we always did when we talked about him.
For the countries still under colonial rule and for the newly independent Angola and Mozambique, KK was the veteran statesman and a pillar of unwavering solidarity, always supporting first the struggle for independence, and then the struggle for peace. We all know that it did not come without a cost for Zambia, and we share the gratefulness to Zambia with the peoples of the countries, who benefit- ed from KK’s and Zambia’s support.
In 1983 we had the honour to interview KK for a publication focusing on South Africa’s struggle to end apartheid, alongside the other leaders of the Frontline
States and Liberation Movement leaders. In this interview, he stated: “And we are fighting in the independent African states, we are fighting to develop ourselves in such a way, as to raise the standard of living of all our people. Not just some, but all our people.” With inspiration from these leaders, we started the Frontline Movement, training youth from Southern Africa to become equipped with knowledge, skills and attitudes so they could take their place in the frontline for the development of their region and their countries.
KK supported the creation of the Frontline Youth Centres throughout Zambia, of which he inaugurated one in Munsakamba in 1990.
When the HIV and AIDS epidemic hit the world in general and Africa in particular, KK gave it full attention. The people of Zambia suffered heavy losses, and KK showed strong leadership when he spoke up also about his personal loss of a son to the disease that at the time was surrounded by stigma, discrimination, fear and no treatment. When Humana People to People joined the fight to gain control over HIV and AIDS, he was there to support. Our “Total Control of the Epidemic”, the TCE programme, has since the year 2000 reached more than 20 million people in 15 countries.
At the World AIDS Conference in Washington, the USA in 2012, KK met with our late chairman, Ib Hansen, to discuss the way forward to end HIV and AIDS by 2030.
We cherish the memories.
May his soul rest in peace.
Snorre Westgaard Chairman
Humana People to People
