KK sings for his love Betty
30th July 2010
FORMER Zambian president Dr Kenneth Kaunda had Grahamstown school leaders eating out of the palm of his hand yesterday when he picked up a guitar and sang a love song about his wife Betty.Flanked by former Mozambique president Joaquim Chissano – who does not appear to have been blessed with the Madiba Jive – the 86-year-old told the Dispatch he had been happily married for the past 63 years.
Although Kaunda asked Chissano to dance with him while he strummed the guitar and sang, it appeared the former Mozambican leader was blessed with two left feet and hands made of lead, so he stood to one side, smiling. Kaunda later thanked the clapping crowd for giving him “a chance to misbehave”.
Both former presidents were i nvited to the City of Saints by the fledgling Pan African Youth Dialogue . Chatting to all and sundry – between shaking hands and posing for pictures – the two elders employed contrasting styles in dealing with school and university students as well as academics .
Shaking hands the traditional South African way, a laughing Kaunda said “one, two, three” every time he pressed flesh – much to the amusement of onlookers.
The two leaders kicked off the morning yesterday giving school leaders and budding Upstart community newspaper reporters a crash course in the history of both their countries before answering questions from the eager youngsters.
Both men explained how they rose from humble beginnings to lead their respective countries.
Inspired by Mahatma Ghandi, Kaunda adopted an approach of passive resistance while Chissano and his Mozambican comrades took up arms against the Portuguese.
Questioned by Nathaniel Nyaluza student Dumisani Payi about the future of the African continent, both former presidents expressed faith that things looked bright.
They said it was about time a United States of Africa was formed to address problems the continent faced.
“Africa has rich resources but we have been impoverished by colonialism and its policies of divide and rule,” Chissano explained.
“People feel poverty when they are poor, but as soon as they have resources they forget about it.”
Payi later described his interaction with the two former leaders as “very special”, saying he was “very inspired by what they went through … it makes me want to reach for the stars”.
Upstart head Shireen Badat said the experience helped tomorrow’s leaders realise “they are part of one African continent”.
Speaking to the Dispatch – while he patiently waited to address the Rhodes University student representative council, foreign students and other groups – Kaunda attributed his extraordinary endurance to a strict vegetarian diet.
“I stopped taking meat, chicken and eggs in 1953 and stopped fish in 1968 … that is my secret.”
A caterer said Kaunda’s lunch order consisted of “raw vegetables, whole- wheat bread, yoghurts, cheese and, specifically, macadamia nuts, dried fruit and 100 percent apple juice”.
After spending hours with the students the two men went to a local B&B for a few hours’ rest before meeting Mayor Vumile Lwana.
They then attended a panel discussion which included planning commission czar Trevor Manuel and Eastern Cape premier Noxolo Kieviet.
[Zambian Watchdog]
