An episode from the independence struggle in Zambia : a case study from Mwase Lundazi

An account of the events leading up to independence in Mwase Lundazi, a chieftainship in the eastern province of Zambia, based on research carried out in 1977-1978, including 19 interviews with politicians or people with a history in politics in the area. The case of Mwase Lundazi shows some of the complexities of nationalism in Zambia and indicates that it makes more sense to see the nationalist movement as a rapidly shifting set of alliances than as part of a pattern of class struggle. Nationalists were not only in confrontation with the colonial power but also with many groups in African society during the relatively short period of nationalist agitation. The nationalist movement was a fluid coalition of people with diverse origins and this capacity to absorb widely different groups could explain how the United National Independence Party (UNIP) has been able to retain power for more than 20 years after independence. - Notes