KK, an ANC safe house and chickens in a pool

IT WAS 1991. Lusaka, Zambia. The ANC had been unbanned and many comrades of the ANC were starting to make their way home.

A few comrades including George Naicker and Yogan Moodley were tasked by the ANC to take care of the vast assets that the movement had acquired in Lusaka.

Among these assets were several safe houses that ANC operatives had used while posted in Zambia at the invitation of Kenneth Kaunda.

In an ironic turn of events, Kaunda, the man who had given refuge to the ANC within his borders, was soon to be needing a home.

Kaunda, after 27 years as president had just lost power to Frederick Chiluba.

Since independence, Kaunda had lived at State House – the seat of the Zambian government. Suddenly it was time to move.

As a former ANC member in Lusaka at the time, Moodley remembers what transpired during that tumultuous period.

“We received an instruction from the treasurer-general of the ANC at the time, Thomas Nkobi, that the ANC would make available one of its safe houses for KK (Kaunda) to live in because he needed to vacate State House,” said Moodley.

He said a team led by George Naicker – Nkobi’s deputy for a time – and Lesley Ponnusamy were tasked with identifying and renovating a suitable property owned by the ANC for Kaunda to live in.

“According to our records, the comrade who was assigned to the house had vacated the property and had returned to South Africa. However when we arrived, we were shocked to find that he was still living in the house and had not returned to South Africa,” chuckled Moodley.

They eventually convinced their comrade to vacate the property and began renovations to make it fit for a continental giant of liberation movements.

“The irony was not lost on us, particularly Ponnusamy who would often comment how Kaunda had once gave us refuge in Zambia and now we had an opportunity to return the favour,” said Moodley.

He described Kaunda as extremely generous and observed, at close quarters, the close bond between Kaunda and Oliver Tambo.

“Kaunda and Tambo would sometimes meet on the Anc-owned farm and would share a glass of milk. KK, as we called him, opened his country not just to the ANC but to most of the front-line states. In many respects, he had a direct role in the liberation of almost all of southern Africa,” said Moodley.

He said the measure of Kaunda’s generosity could be measured by the fact that Tambo had offices in Zambia’s State House.

“Imagine giving offices to the representative of a liberation movement in the Union Buildings in Pretoria. That sort of thing is unheard of these days but Kaunda did that for the ANC. He was so supportive of our Struggle,” said Moodley.

It is believed but unconfirmed that Kaunda eventually moved into the house for a short while. But not before the ANC took care of a few loose ends.

“The house had a swimming pool, but when we got there, the pool was empty and the comrade using the house had converted it into a chicken run. So we had to get rid of the chickens and clean up the place.

“I left Lusaka before the renovations were completed but I was told that Kaunda moved in for a short while before securing other lodgings,” said Moodley.