Background
Mainza Chona was born on January 21, 1930, son of Chief Chona, at Nampeyo, Monze, in Southern Province.
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Mainza Mathias Chona
Edit ProfileEducation
Educated at Chona Out School, Chikuni Catholic Mission School, and Munali Secondary School.
Career
As clerk-interpreter at the High Court in Livingstone from 1951 to 1955 he impressed people with his efficiency. During this time he wrote a novel in the Chitonga language: published in 1952, “Kabuca Uleta Tunji” won the Margaret Wong Medal in 1956. His ability in court won him a scholarship in 1955 from the British colonial government to study law at Gray’s Inn, London. After his final examinations he was admitted to the bar in June 1958 and became a barrister. Returning home, he found no law firm willing to give him a job. He had to earn a living as a typist. In his frustration he turned to politics for an outlet to his talents.
He entered Parliament as MP for Livingstone in 1964 and became the country’s first Minister of Justice. He played an important role in helping to draft the independence constitution and two years later in putting pressure on Britain over the Rhodesia crisis at the emergency Commonwealth conference at Lagos, Nigeria, in January 1966. After a spell in charge of Home Affairs he was given the new post of Minister of Presidential Affairs on January 1, 1967, to enable him to work closely with President Kaunda. This working arrangement was continued when he was appointed Minister without Portfolio in November 1968.
As the President’s trouble-shooter he was transferred in September 1969 for a year to be Minister of Central Province and Minister of Provincial and Local Government. Following a short interlude as Ambassador to the USA he returned to the centre of politics as Vice-President in October 1970. Externally, his responsibilities ranged from being secretary-general of the third Non-Aligned Conference at Lusaka, to presiding over the OAU Mediation Commission in 1971, and representing Zambia in June 1972 at the OAU summit meeting at Rabat, Morocco.
Internally, his most important task since independence was heading the commission on the new constitution a responsibility which absorbed most of his time in 1972 until the completion of the report and the signature of the Constitutional Amendment Bill by the President in December 1972.
Politics
He joined the African National Congress after the breakaway Zambia African Congress had been banned and its founders, Kaunda and Kapwepwe, imprisoned in March 1959. His challenge to Nkumbula split the ANC conference in September. He walked out with his supporters to organise the United National Independence Party, setting its target “to fight relentlessly by all constitutional means for the attainment of full self-government”. He became party president in October, keeping the seat warm so that Kaunda could take over the presidency on January 31, 1960, after being freed from prison.
For the next 12 months he was in self-imposed exile in England because of a warrant for his arrest on “sedition charges issued during his absence at a conference in Tunis. He ran UNIP in external affairs from London and helped Kaunda at the constitutional conference at London in December 1960. Following his return to Lusaka in February 1961 he became general secretary of UNIP a post he held until 1969 and quickly made it one of the best organised parties in Africa.
Personality
Outwardly, with his florid shirts and colourful style, a man of natural flamboyance, used to great advantage on a platform. At heart, a tough political manager with calculating, legalistic thoroughness and little inclination to political theorising. Although not a person of strong simmering ambition, he is for many people a natural choice in any emergency as a successor to Kaunda.
Connections
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Born
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Nationality
Zambian -
Political Party
United National Independence Party
Career
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1966 - 1969
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1969 - 1970
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1970 - 1973
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August 25, 1973 - May 27, 1975
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1975 - 1977
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1978 - 1981
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1984 - 1989
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1989 - 1992