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Chona’s body flown
in
By Times Reporter
THERE was emotional outpouring when the body of veteran politician Mainza Chona
arrived at the
Lusaka International Airport yesterday.
The body of the former premier in the UNIP government arrived aboard a
South-African Airways plane at 16.00 hours accompanied by widow Yolanta.
Chief Government spokesman Vernon Mwaanga who is also Minister of Information
and Broadcasting, former republican president Dr Kenneth Kaunda and his son UNIP
president Tilyenji were among several mourners who witnessed the arrival of Mr.
Chona’s body.
The airport ground was turned into a solemn occasion as mourners sang hymns and
the Zambia police service band solemn music.
His body lay in state yesterday at his Jesmondine residence and will lie in
state again at Nampenyo village today in readiness for burial tomorrow.
A funeral program released by family said church service would be conducted at
the grave site tomorrow at Chief Chona’s palace in Nampenyo village.
This morning a valedictory session by the law Association of Zambia (LAZ) will
be held in memory of the late politician at Supreme Court before proceeding to
Roma cathedral for a church service.
Mr. Chona, a freedom fighter died on the operating table and Government has
declared tomorrow a day of national mourning for the departed State counsel.
He is survived by a wife Yolanta, seven children and several grand-children.
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Mainza Chona dies
By Times Reporter
Zambia’s
independence founding father, Mainza Chona died in a South African hospital
yesterday.
Mr Chona, Zambia’s pioneering breed of freedom fighters died on the operating
table at
Johannesburg’s Milpark Hospital at 12.30hrs
Zambian time.
First secretary at the Zambian high commission in South Africa,
Dennis Kapata confirmed the death of Mr Chona from Johannesburg
yesterday.
Mr Kapata said Mr Chona was accompanied to South Africa
for treatment by his wife Yolanta.
Mr Kapata said Mr Chona is believed to have had an attack while undergoing
dialysis but a postmortem would be conducted later to determine the cause of
death.
“Mr Mainza Chona died at 12:30hrs on the operating table at Milpark Hospital,”
Mr Kapata said.
Mr Chona held the post of vice president, and also served as secretary-general
for UNIP among other appointments.
He was a great fountain of the Zambian political history, having seen it unfold
and participated in its making.
Mr Chona was UNIP president at its inception before relinquishing the reigns of
power to Dr Kenneth Kaunda.
Almost a decade after independence, Mr Chona, a prominent lawyer, headed the
1972 constitutional review commission, which ushered in the one party state.
He later served as
Zambia’s ambassador
to China,
a position he held until he was recalled in 1992 after the MMD came to power
with the re-introduction of multi-party politics in 1991.
Back home as UNIP trustee, Mr Chona played a key role in fostering political
dialogue among the various political parties as co-chairman for the crucial
talks.
Mr Chona estimated his year of birth as 1930 when the first aeroplane is
supposed to have flown over his home area in Monze.
His father who later became Chief Chona was a famous hunter who killed at least
seven lions before he was savaged by his next would-be victim. (See obituary on
Page 17).
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ZANA
Mainza Chona 's body arrives in home village
Monze - Hundreds of Monze residents yesterday turned up along the streets of the
district to catch a glimpse of the funeral procession, which brought the body of
the late Mr. Mainza Chona.
Business in the district came to a standstill late last evening when the
procession, which had travelled from Lusaka by road arrived in the district.
And in Nampeyo area, hundreds of villagers and Lusaka residents were on hand
to receive the casket, which was draped in the National flag.
Mr. Chonas’ casket, which arrived in chief Chonas’ village around 18.30
hours, lay in state, in Mr. Chona’s house.
And vice president Mr. Enoch Kavindele is expected to lead a government
delegation at the burial of Mr. Chona.
According to family spokesman Mark Chona, who is a young brother to the late
freedom fighter, other senior government officials and former president of
Zambia Dr. Kenneth Kaunda are also to attend the burial, which will take place
at the Chonas’ family grave, some 20 KM east of Monze.
Today, Sunday December 16, has been declared a day of national mourning after
Dr. Chiluba decided to accord a state funeral to Mr. Chona.
Mr. Chona, one of Zambias’ first lawyers died on the operating table at Mill
Park hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Tuesday December 11.
He is survived by a wife, eight children and several grand children.
Mr. Chona, was once Prime Minister of the republic of Zambia in the UNIP
regime.
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December 15, 2001
Death of Mainza Chona
Zambias liberation leader and
first prime minister, Mainza Chona, died on December 11, in a South African
hospital where he was taken for an operation. Zambian President Chiluba has
declared Sunday, December 16, as the day for national mourning for the late
Chona.
Chona’s actual age was not known, but his family believed he was born around
1930. Chona was the founding president of the former ruling United National
Independence Party (UNIP). He relinquished power to his close friend,
Kenneth Kaunda, who became the first Zambian president. Chona was one of
Zambia's most respected citizens. He served in various government positions.
Most recently, he was ambassador to China until 1992, when President
Frederick Chiluba recalled him. He was also a leading opposition lawyer in
the country, who worked on many high-profile cases, including the defense of
soldiers who attempted to overthrow Chiluba in 1997. Chona was also among
elders who initiated moves to bring all the political parties in Zambia
together in a bid to resolve conflicts before general elections due to be
held on December 27.
Election observers from southern Africa, Europe, and the United States have
arrived in Zambia to monitor general elections on December 27, officials
said Tuesday. A 24-member team of parliamentarians from the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) countries has already arrived and will stay
until December 30, said Titi Pitso, spokeswoman for the SADC Parliamentary
Forum. The SADC observers will fan out through Zambia's nine provinces to
assess the situation on the ground ahead of the presidential, parliamentary
and municipal elections. That team comprises MPs from Angola, Botswana,
Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania and
Zimbabwe, Pitso said.
A US-based election monitoring group, the Carter Center, also has opened a
full-time mission in Zambia to observe the polls. The European Union
Electoral Unit (EUEU) has dispatched about 50 international long-term
election observers in different parts of Zambia, while another 100 were
expected before the vote, an official said.
http://www.sadocc.at/news/2001-94.shtml
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Local News
State
Funeral
PRESIDENT Chiluba has declared a state funeral for the former Prime Minister in
the UNIP government, late Mainza Chona, reports the Times of Zambia.
Secretary to the Cabinet Leslie Mbula confirmed the development in Lusaka
yesterday.
Mr Mbula said on burial day, Sunday, December 16, flags would fly at
half-mast and the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) would play
only solemn music while all activities of entertainment nature would be
cancelled.
Mr Mbula said the body of the late Mr Chona who died on Tuesday at Milpark
Hospital in Johannesburg, arrives in Lusaka today around 16:00 hours, aboard a
South African Airways flight.
He said the body would lie in state at Mr Chona’s residence, house no. 144
Mwambula road, Jesmondine, Lusaka.
And according to a programme released by the family, church service would be
conducted at the grave site at chief Chona’s palace, Napenya village, Monze.
On Saturday, the valedictory session by the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ)
will be held in memory of the late politician at Supreme Court before proceeding
to Roma Cathedral for a Church service.
Mr Chona, Zambia’s pioneering bred of freedom fighters died on the operating
table at Johannesburg’s Milpark hospital.
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The Post Dec 14, 2001
Government declares Sunday day of mourning Chona
By Ruth Banda in Choma
PRESIDENT Frederick Chiluba has declared Sunday as the day for national
mourning in honour of the late Mainza Chona.
Secretary to the Cabinet Leslie Mbula announced President Chiluba's declaration
yesterday. Women for Change (WFC) executive director Emily Sikazwe has described
the late Chona as a freedom fighter who not only fought for Zambians' freedom
but also ensured that Zambians enjoyed the fruits of the independence they
fought for.
"He did this through his selfless service for the people of this country as a
politician and a lawyer," she said. Sikazwe said late Chona fought for social
justice and freedom of the Zambians.
She described late Chona as humanitarian who identified himself with the
oppressed and marginalised. "Chona, although you are gone, your legacy will
still linger forever in the minds of many Zambians who share the values that you
stood for when you lived," Sikazwe said.
"As you rest in external peace, be assured that the struggle for social,
economic and political freedom and justice that you stood and fought for
continues." According to the burial programme released by the late Chona's
family, his body arrives from Johannesburg today around 16:00 hours and would
proceed to the funeral house in Jesmondine to lie in state.
On Saturday the body would be driven to the Supreme Court where a valedictory
service would be conducted. The funeral procession would to proceed to Roma
Cathedral for the mass and later depart for chief Chona's village, where the
body will lie in state before burial on Sunday.
Chona died on the operating table at Mill Park Hospital on Tuesday. He is
survived by a wife, eight children and several grandchildren .
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The Post Dec 12, 2001
Mainza Chona is dead
By Sheikh Chifuwe
FORMER vice-president, UNIP secretary general and a hero of Zambia's
independence struggle state counsel Mainza Chona is dead.
Chona died yesterday at Millpark Clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa where he
was flown for specialist treatment. UNIP spokesman Njekwa Anamela said the
passing of Chona has left a lot of pain not only in UNIP but the country as a
whole because the man was a true nationalist who inspired a lot of people.
"He is remembered as an indomitable freedom fighter, throughout his life he
demonstrated quality leadership, he is a true patriot," Anamela said. "He
remained an inspiration even in time of discord in UNIP."
A family spokesman said people should not travel to Lusaka because burial would
take place in chief Chona's area in Monze.
Chona retired from active politics early this year to take up private life. He
was co-chairman of the inter-party talks and UNIP trustee at the time of his
retirement.
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