Dr Kenneth Kaunda, the Zambian President, used a two-hour layover in Kingston to talk business with Prime Minister Norman Manley. Both leaders spoke highly of each other and their respective countries.

PUBLISHED WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 1978

Kaunda hailed as ‘freedom fighter’

Gleaner Political Reporter

Zambian President Dr Kenneth Kaunda was welcomed once again to Jamaica yesterday by Prime Minister Manley and Mrs Manley and government officials during a two-hour stopover at the Norman Manley International Airport.

Dr Kaunda’s role in the struggles for freedom in Africa welcomed him as a “freedom fighter as one of the giants of the Commonwealth and as a leader of a developing country whose achievements in the field of human development were outstanding.”

“We welcome you with pride and are sorry only that your stay is so short at this time.” He told him.

Responding to the welcome, the Zambian president expressed thanks on behalf of himself and his 21-member delegation.  He told Mr Manley:

“The very fact that we came here for a few hours to exchange views on the various countries of the world is an indication of how the Zambian people feel about you.

“We in Zambia are delighted and happy that in spite of the long distance between us, our thoughts and actions are common because, basically, we believe in the importance of man and take our beliefs further by trying to translate these views into action”.

He regretted the shortness of the visit but said it was much better than not coming to Jamaica at all.

After the formal welcome, Dr Kaunda gave a short press conference in the VIP lounge.

He later had a working lunch with Prime Minister Manley and brief, formal discussions during which the two leaders reviewed the economic and political situation in Southern Africa.

Sitting in at the talks with Prime Minister Manley were Foreign Affairs Minister P.J. Patterson; National Security Minister of State Ralph Brown, the Parliamentary Secretary, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a number of Government officers.

In Dr Kaunda's party were the Hon. P. C. Kamanga, Member of the Central Committee; the Hon. J. Mwanakative, Minister of Finance; the Hon. A. B. Chikwanda, Minister of Lands and Agriculture; the Hon. Dr S. J. Mwale, Minister of Foreign Affairs: Mr M. C. Chona, Special Assistant to the President; and Mr H. M. Nzunga; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

PRESENTATION

Shortly before he left, Dr Kaunda was presented with a painting by Mrs Manley.  was a gift from the Anti-Apartheid Movement in Jamaica.

President Kaunda left shortly before 3 p.m. for Guyana in a white and green Boeing 707 four-engine jetliner of the Zambran National Airways, which brought him and his party to Kingston.

Dr Kaunda came to Jamaica at the conclusion of a seven-day State visit to the U.S.A., during which he had talks with President Carter.

Among the places he visited in the U.S.A. were Atlanta, where he was presented the Martin Luther King Prize for Non-Violence and was awarded the honorary Doctorate of Laws degree by Morehouse College, alma mater of the late Dr. Martin Luther King.

He travelled to Los Angeles, where he observed the cultivation of crops in a desert area with the use of irrigation, and Texas, where he visited cattle tour.

The Zambian President’s visit to Guyana will be as brief as his stop in Kingston.  From there he goes to Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.  At each capital, he will have discussions with the Head of Government.

Before returning to Lusaka,  Dr Kaunda will stop in Luanda, Angola, for talks with Angolan President Dr Agostinho Neto.

Dr Kaunda also paid an official visit to Britain from May 13 to 16, during which he held talks with British Government officials.

 

For feedback: contact the Editorial Department at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com.