Being vegan, Kaunda eliminated the endless quarrels vegetarians have with cooks and waiters in Africa.
Zambia on Friday celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Independence. However, something unique also happened — Kenneth Kaunda, who is 90, became the first founding republican president of an African country of the 1960s era to be alive to see it turn 50.
The Gambia’s Sir Dawda Jawara, also 90, might also have qualified. However, though he became prime minister in 1962 when The Gambia got self-government and remained in the job when it became independent in 1965, the country only turned into a republic in 1970 and Jawara became president.
One of our editors visited Kaunda in Lusaka to interview him ahead of the anniversary. We had been told that he “gets tired easily these days,” so the interview could only last no more than 40 minutes. In the end, it went on for two hours.
Still waving his famous white handkerchief, he is very particular about how visitors exit his compound, and comes out of the house to ensure they drive out in the “right” direction.
Like Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere, though he imposed a one-party state, he remained very much beloved after he lost power in 1991 — especially internationally. A friend at the Voice of America in Washington tells me that the last time he went to their studios for an interview, people all over the building were treating him a reverence preserved for chaps like the Pope.
So, taking a light-hearted view, what does Kaunda teach us about post-presidential longevity, happiness, and likeability?
First, it seems, be an extreme vegan. Kaunda is not only vegan, but besides water, he doesn’t eat anything cooked or boiled. As a vegetarian of over 10-years standing myself, I was puzzled where the happiness could come from – it’s tough not eating meat in Africa, traditionalists don’t treat you with respect.
Then I figured out that by living on fruit and raw nuts, and nothing cooked, Kaunda eliminated the endless quarrels vegetarians have with cooks and waiters in Africa. That must have given him peace of mind.
Then, Kaunda is a musical bloke, and is probably the only African leader ever to play the accordion. In many musical traditions, accordion players are considered the clowns of the craft. I guess you need to be good-natured and not to take yourself too seriously to play it — good traits for managing disappointment and heartbreaks.
Kaunda also loved to play golf. So what is in a golf ball that confers virtue in old age? Honestly, I don’t know and can only guess that the blessing of amateur golf is that if you can hit small things, perhaps you get better at hitting bigger ones too. Go figure.
However, Kaunda was — unlike many African leaders of that time and today — not a thief. That means he didn’t have to live his retirement looking over his shoulder for prosecutors sent by the new regime to collar him, so he could keep his eyes fixed ahead on making the best of his remaining life.
However, I think the ultimate secret is in his white handkerchief and penchant for crying. By crying, Kaunda got rid of lots of cortisone and bad karma that other leaders bottle up, thus turning them into bitter and cruel men.
In any event, happy 50th Zambia. And congratulations KK.
Charles Onyango-Obbo is editor of Mail & Guardian Africa (mgafrica.com). Twitter:@cobbo3
