adminThe Rhodesia Herald,
18 February 1970
ZAMBIA’S Minister of Home Affairs today challenged the Rhodesian Government to substantiate its claims that his country was training and harbouring terrorists.
He suggested that Rhodesia should send African solders to “see for themselves”.
Mr Lewis Changufu’s statement to Parliament was in reply to the recent warning issued by Mr Ian Smith, who said in January that evidence of captured terrorists had proved conclusively that Zambia has actively assisted incursions into Rhodesia.
The Prime Minister warned that his Government could not ignore the continuance of assistance to terrorists.
Mr Changufu described this statement as “unfounded”. He challenged Rhodesia to substantiate its claims by producing photographs “taken from Zambian soil”.
Zambia was a peace-loving country, dedicated to the policy of freedom, he said, and was not prepared to be drawn into a conflict with her neighbours.
Mr Changufu also warned the opposition African National Congress that the Government may consider a countrywide ban on its activities if “acts of terrorism” continue.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
One of the major responsibilities of diplomacy is the ability to protect the country’s sovereignty from foreign aggression.
The Zambian home affairs minister did just that using a parliamentary platform, which is another arm of the state.
There was no way he could have admitted to the Rhodesian government that both Zipra and Zanla combatants had offices in Zambia and used the country as a second home planning a total takeover through armed insurrection.
Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania and Botswana paid heavily for assisting Zimbabwe’s armed struggle. When the Rhodesian forces bombed camps sheltering freedom fighters, this caused instability in the respective countries, as their citizens were also caught up in cross-fire. Their economies could not grow because of that.
Thus the struggle for independence was not just the responsibility of the fighters from that country, but it was a struggle that involved many countries in the southern African region.
Through the efforts by Zambia, Tanzania, Botswana and Malawi’s founding leaders, the whole southern African region attained independence.
They have since formed the Southern African Development Community bloc whose main focus is regional peace, trade and integration.
But the region continues to fight the same enemy manifesting itself in different forms. The same spirit of togetherness that the likes of Presidents Kenneth Kaunda and Julius Nyerere had towards fighting colonialism, should embolden today’s leadership towards fighting killer diseases like the Covid-19 pandemic, HIV/Aids, diabetes, cancer, tuberculosis and poverty, for they are a threat to both national and regional security.
It is about time that we all walk the talk in terms of the artificial boundaries and open our borders to each other. That way, stronger synergies are created.
Online Reporter