The Lusaka Declaration 1969
RESOLUTIONS
1. The 1969 manifesto echoed the need for de-colonisation in Southern Africa that is in the Portuguese colonies of Angola and Mozambique, Southern Rhodesia, Namibia and South Africa. The manifesto maintained that "no one in Africa was free until the whole continent had been liberated from minority rule... and therefore total freedom for Africa remained the guiding star.''
2. The declaration emphasized the need for democracy in which all citizens could participate not only through their elected representatives, but also by direct involvement in decision making. They adopted the slogan "no independence without majority rule."
3. The delegates of the conference were assertive on the methods of creating reforms in Southern Africa. In their conciliatory efforts with the Whites in the Southern African, Nyerere and Kaunda called for the use of peaceful means to cause change but they also threatened to use violence if negotiations were to fail,
4. Promotion of multi-lateralism. African leaders argued that they had something new to offer to the world society and they were determined to play full part in international organs and activities working in harness at the United Nations, Commonwealth or through the Organisation of African Unity.
5. The leaders resolved at improving the standard of living the African population partly through local regional economic integrations.
6. Respect of Human Rights, which was derived from their commitment to human equality and human dignity.
7. They also pointed out their hostility towards racial discrimination in Southern Africa for example South Africa and Southern Rhodesia.
8. To maintain peace on the continent. After the assassination of Eduardo Mondlane, the President of FRELIMO in Tanzania 1969, Nyerere realised that his security and that of Tanzania was not guaranteed and it was worsened by South African attacks on Zambia and Tanzania.
9. The Declaration called upon African countries to end the bulk trade with industrialised countries (North-South trade relations) and be replaced with the (South-South relations). But this required great co-operation, contact and interaction among African countries themselves, between Africa countries and countries of Asia and Latin America. All this was aimed at transcending dependency on the developed powers.
African states spear headed by Zambia and Tanzania greatly supported the liberation in Southern Africa.
First Zambia and Tanzania provided training grounds and guerilla bases for the liberation movements in Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa.
Secondly Tanzania provided the headquarters of the O.A.U liberation committee formed in 1974.
Thirdly Zambia provided Lusaka as the headquarters of the Frontline states and in 1970 Kaunda led delegates to Europe and America to warn against the dangers of supplying arms to South Africa.
Consequently in 1975 Angola and Mozambique attained independence, 1980 Zimbabwe, 1990 Namibia and 1994 South Africa. However, the process partly destabilized Tanzania and Zambia as they were vulnerable to attacks by South African forces, and in Uganda it partly led to the downfall of Obote in 1971 because he was one of the loudest critics of the British supply of arms to Southern Rhodesia and South Africa.
Kaunda prepared a declaration of the Common Wealth principle in December 1970. He proposed that the Common Wealth should belong to all it's members, not particularly to Britain and that therefore it was Britain which would be expelled if she betrayed it's principle. Further more the continent successfully floated Boutrous Boutrous Ghali and Koffi Anan as Secretary Generals of the United Nations. But unfortunately America using it's veto powers denied the former a second term of office.
Leaders greatly followed peaceful means alongside violence to solve Problems in Southern Africa. First the new leadership in Portugal held discussions with the liberation movements so as to end long era of Portuguese colonial government as soon as possible.
Secondly South Africa made reconciliatory speeches both at the UN and through Voster.
Thirdly after the Lusaka talks Smith releazed Sithole, Mugabe and Nkomo and fourthly communication between Lusaka and Pretoria were established.
However such a method of fighting colonialism in South Africa was misconstrued by other nationalist who described Kaunda, Koffi Busia, Omar Bongo and Kamuzu Banda as traitors and collaborators of the colonialists creating divisions amongst the African nationalists and hence partly delaying the de-colonisation process.
Through peaceful means and violence, the attainment of democracy in Southern Africa was inevitable. African call of no independence without majority rule became a reality in Angola and Mozambique in 1975. Zimbabwe 1980, Namibia 1990 and South Africa 1994. However, the failure to institute multi-party democracy in Angola and Mozambique in the post independence period gave birth to civil wars between the MPLA and UNITA, and FRELIMO and RENAMO respectively. In Zambia and Malawi the system of multi-party democracy showed Kaunda and Banda exit from the political stage.
In the field of Human Rights, Kaunda of Zambia published a second booklet on Humanism and it's application in October 1974. This new philosophy aimed at creating an egalitarian society that is, a society in which there is equal opportunity for self development for all. However, this was confusing over private enterprises and how it could exist in a society committed against exploitation, profit making and capitalism. Because practically in Zambia no individual would operate a business with a gross profit margin beyond K5oo,ooo per annum and above it the would come in.
Efforts were made to create peace by finding solutions to the rampant civil wars and problems decolonisation, which had engulfed the continent for example the Nkomati Accord of 1979 to end civil war in Mozambique, However, Nyerere and Kaunda the very architects of the Lusaka manifesto stand to be accused of fueling the Nigeria civil war of 1967-70 by supporting Biafra to secede.
To transcend dependency on the developed world, third world countries increased the inter penetration with each other in trade, investment, aid, and other forms of contact. Therefore through the South-South dialogue, Egypt and India exported manpower to other developing countries, the Arab world extended aid to Africa and Cuba forwarded military assistance to Angola, Ethiopia and other African states.
However, these relations failed to escape jaws of the neo - colonial powers which have continued to provide trade concessions to the countries in their bid to fail the system for instance between the late 1980's and early 1990 foiled Uganda's attempt to exchange maize for transformers with Tanzania by extending free maize to the latter.
Racial discrimination in the white settlers colonies was brought to an end after those countries had attained self-rule. But in 1972, Amin in Uganda expelled the Asians and without fear and Kaunda described him as "a racist''. Consequently Nyerere and Tanzania suffered directly with insults from Amin leading to the invasion Tanzania by Ugandan forces calling for a retaliation from Tanzania ending with the overthrow of Amin in 1979 and the repudiation OAU article of non-interference in the internal affairs of a member state.
To improve the people's standards of living and also cause development in Africa regional economic integrations were formed as starting point for example ECOWAS, SADC, COMESA and SACU (South African Customs Union). However, the existence of such groupings has undermined the performance of the OAU.
National Movements and New States in Africa