Background
Aaron Milner was born on May 31, 1932, son of a European businessman and an African mother, at Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia.
Aaron Milner was born on May 31, 1932, son of a European businessman and an African mother, at Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia.
Educated at Embakwe Mission, Plumtree, Rhodesia, but left in 1948 to become an apprentice tailor in Bulawayo because his father had died.
After acquiring business experience in Bulawayo he moved to Zambia’s Copperbelt in 1954 as manager of the Commercial Trading Company at Chingola. As chairman of the Euro-African Association he came into contact with Kaunda and Mainza Chona and joined the United National Independence Party. In 1961 he was elected deputy national secretary and a member of UNIP’s Central Committee. From 1961 to 1964 he was the main party organiser in the Copperbelt and presided at meetings. Elected MP for Muchinga in 1964 he became Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister Kaunda and was given responsibility for the civil service.
From 1964 to 1967 he was Minister of State for the Cabinet and Public Service. In September 1967 he was appointed Minister of State for Presidential Affairs with special responsibility for Information and Broadcasting. He was Minister of Transport, Power and Works from January to November 1970, when he became Secretary-General to the government.
President Kaunda appointed him chairman of the Zambianisation Committee for state enterprises and relics upon him to ease the burdens on the President’s office. He is often left to ensure that various ministries cooperate over projects and that the proper priorities arc maintained.
One of the top three in the government. A budding opera singer who once sang with the late Beniamino Gigli and gave up a musical career for politics after falling under Kenneth Kaunda's spell. At cabinet and party executive level he has proved himself a natural organiser with great skill in putting ideas across to people and coordinating their efforts in carrying them out. A devout Roman Catholic with the capacity to relax on his farm and cultivate his rose garden.