Press and Politics: A Look at the Role Played by Zambia in Zimbabwe's Fight for Independence as Perceived by Zimbabwean Newspaper, The Sunday Mail

Abstract

Zambia claimed its independence at a time when Zimbabwe was far away from claiming its independence from British rule. The first Zambian president, Kenneth Kaunda, was in good relationship with Zimbabwean black politicians fighting to topple the Ian Smith regime that ruled Zimbabwe under the colonial name Rhodesia. Naturally Zimbabwean black politicians looked up to Zambia's Kaunda and further north to the influential Julius Nyerere of Tanzania for help in this tough struggle. The Zimbabwean liberation leaders could not look down to South Africa for help as South Africa was deep in apartheid rule and in liaison with the Smith regime. The Zimbabwean leaders however, made it difficult for helpers such as Kaunda by having differences among themselves which resulted in two powerful political and liberation movements in the form of PF-ZAPU and ZANU-PF led by Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe respectively. History books have suggested that Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda assisted the liberation struggle in its entirety but recent newspaper publication especially in the influential newspaper The Sunday Mail suggest a biased assistance to the Zimbabwean struggles as witnessed by eye witness accounts being chronicled in the newspaper. It is from this background that the researchers aimed at closely analysing the role played by the nation of Zambia and the leadership of President Kenneth Kaunda in the liberation struggle by Zimbabweans. The researchers also aim at analyzing the importance and reason for such coverage at this point in time for Zimbabweans. Research methods used include archival research, interviews, hermeneutics of interpretation and content analysis among others. The researchers found out that The Sunday Mail newspaper acknowledged the important role played by Zambia in the struggle to liberate Zimbabwe to the extent that Zambia sacrificed both human and capital resources in their endeavour. The researchers also found out that Zimbabwean liberation history cannot be complete without mention of the strategic political role played by Zambia. Although the newspaper seems to be blaming the Zambian government led by Kaunda of siding with the Nkomo and his PF-ZAPU political party and not with ZANU-PF and its leader Robert Mugabe who eventually became the first Zimbabwean black leader after Independence, the role of Zambia towards Zimbabwean liberation remains intact and irreplaceable.

Keywords: Kaunda, Zambia, Liberation war, Zimbabwe, Mugabe, Nkomo.