CHINHOYI — One of Africa’s founding fathers and former Zambian President, Kenneth Kaunda, has turned down an invitation to address a public lecture at Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) citing “pressing international commitments”.
CUT director of marketing and public relations Musekiwa Tapera confirmed the development, saying engagements by the university to bring the former President had hit a brickwall.
“We had wished for former Zambian President Kaunda to grace our public lecture on the eve to mark Africa Day, but he has cited pressing international commitments and, therefore, he cannot come,” said Tapera.
Instead, Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara will on Thursday deliver a public lecture on the topic “Africa Day: 49 years of civil wars, coups, poverty and disease: Which way Africa? An economic and technological perspective” in Chinhoyi.
Tapera described Mutambara as a “firm believer of the African renaissance” and urged the Chinhoyi community and other stakeholders to attend the free public lecture which would be preceded by a free all-night concert featuring various bands.
Kaunda served as the first independent Zambian President between 1964 and 1991.
