Black Ghosts

News broke today of the China-Africa Friendship Award – given out to companies, promoting, er, China in Africa.  One category in 2009 included “Five African People Who Deeply Moved the Chinese People” one of the recipients of which was Kenneth Kuanda.

Who he?

As well as being the first President of Zambia, he’s the guy who established a one-party state in Zambia in 1972 – going so far as to hold elections during which he was the only standing candidate - and also crippled the country in the 1960’s through a misguided attempt to nationalize the copper mining industry.  Oh, yeah and he also did deals with Saddam Hussein to supply oil to Zambia in the 1980’s.

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