12/03/2025
The Historic Struggle That Made March 12th Zambia’s Youth Day:
12.03.2025
By Chishala Mwamba
Before Zambia attained independence, the struggle for self-rule was marked by intense political rivalry between two nationalist movements: UNIP, led by Kenneth Kaunda, and ZANC, led by Harry Mwanga Nkhumbula.
The colonial administration as usual saw in this rivalry an opportunity to apply their divide and rule strategy in order to show that Africans were not ready to govern themselves because they could not unite.
Yet, despite the tensions between UNIP and ZANC, the colonial authorities found that direct confrontation between the two groups was rare.
Therefore, they resorted to a sinister plot, one that would discredit the independence struggle if it were to work, and portray Africans as unfit for self-rule.
THE CONSPIRACY OF 1962:
In March 1962, events took a dark turn. That year, Harry Mwanga Nkhumbula was in the Katanga region visiting Maurice Kaulongombe, while Kenneth Kaunda was preparing to hold a major rally in Chimwemwe, Kitwe. Colonial officials saw an opportunity to strike.
They planned to attack UNIP leadership in Chimwemwe and shift the blame onto Nkhumbula and ZANC thereby fueling conflict between the two parties.
This scheme was hatched in Ndola, targeting a house where UNIP leaders were to reside that night at Mr. Mutembo’s residence in Chimwemwe.
As Fate would have it, a worker overheard the colonial officials plotting the attack. Realizing the gravity of the situation, the worker rushed to warn the UNIP Youth Wing in Ndola.
That very night, a courageous band of young freedom fighters, led by Alexander Bwalya Chikwanda, undertook an extraordinary act of defiance. They walked from Ndola to Chimwemwe on foot, under the cover of darkness, determined to evacuate their leadership before the attack.
As planned, in the early hours of March 12, 1962, colonial forces surrounded the house and set it ablaze. Had the leaders still been inside, they would have been burned alive, an act that could have ignited a civil war between UNIP and ZANC and prevented Zambia from peacefully attaining her independence.
But thanks to the selfless actions of these young patriots, the UNIP leadership was already safe. Their vigilance saved not only lives but also the fragile unity of the independence movement.
That morning, UNIP proceeded to hold its rally in Chimwemwe as planned, a rally of historic significance.
Fearing exposure and embarrassment, the colonial government invoked the infamous Public Order Act and deployed the Kamfinsa Paramilitary Squad to crush the gathering.
Word spread swiftly. Hundreds of youths, both men and women stormed Kitwe’s town center, blocking roads and disrupting business operations to divert military attention away from the rally.
Armed only with stones and the resolve of a people yearning for freedom, they confronted colonial forces who fired live bullets at them. Many lost their lives. Blood stained the streets of Kitwe. But the youth, fearless and resolute, kept coming.
Not even bullets could deter them from their mission, i.e, to secure mother Zambia’s Political independence.
THE BIRTH OF YOUTH DAY:
It was on this fateful day, amid the bloodshed and courage, that Kaunda stood before the rally and made a declaration that would shape Zambia’s history:
“Should independence come, this day shall be remembered and commemorated as Youth Day in Zambia.”
True to his word, on March 12, 1966, two years after Zambia gained independence, the day was declared a public holiday. To honor the youth who fought with nothing but stones against colonial bullets, the government also erected the iconic Mposa Mabwe (Stone Thrower) statue in Kitwe, which stands as a lasting tribute to the unyielding spirit of Zambia’s young freedom fighters.
REFLECTION:
The youth of 1962 embodied what every Zambian youth today must strive to be; courageous, selfless, and devoted to national service. Our friends put country above self, they fought for political freedom and we must fight for economic freedom.
Their sacrifices remind us that freedom, prosperity, and national dignity are earned through service and sacrifice.
It is time to reclaim the spirit of 1962, a spirit of resilience, patriotism, and sacrifice.
One Zambia, One Nation! 🇿🇲
May God bless the Zambian Youth.
Happy Youth Week.
[Written with special reference to Thabo Kawana’s piece published on March 12, 2019, in the Zambian Observer.]
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