Abstract:
A recent resurgence of interest in the political history of late colonial and
post-colonial Zambia is shaped by an unspoken national debate that seeks
to explain Zambia's economic and social decline since the 1970s. This
new wave of historical activity is characterised by both new activities in
academic research and by the appearance of notable autobiographical
studies by prominent political and economic actors. These texts provide
significant insights into the dilemmas of post-colonial governance, the
reasons for economic nationalisation in the late 1960s, the establishment
of the one-party state in 1972 and the return to multi-party democracy in
1991, as well as the impact of economic liberalisation in the 1990s. In
particular, these studies demonstrate the rise of a bureaucratic capitalist
class, linked to state-owned corporations and multi-national business that,
from the late 1970s, sought the liberalisation of the economy in order to
fully realise their newly found wealth and power. The continuing
influence of this class can be seen during the periods of both one-party
and multi-party rule. However, the unwillingness of most of these
authors to examine their respective own historical roles self-critically
tends to reinforce nationalist myths of an earlier generation of history.
AFRIKAANS: Die onlangse herlewing van belangstelling in die politieke geskiedenis
van laat en post-koloniale Zambië word gevorm deur die versweë
nasionale debat wat verklarings probeer vind vir die ekonomiese en
sosiale verval wat sedert die 1970's in Zambië plaasvind. Hierdie nuwe
golf van historiese aktiwiteit word gekarakteriseer deur beide nuwe
werksaamhede op die akademise navorsingsterrein, asook deur die
verskyning van belangrike outobiografiese studies deur prominente
politieke en ekonomiese rolspelers. Laasgenoemde werke bied insig in
aspekte soos die dilemmas van post-koloniale staatsbestuur; die redes vir
ekonomiese nasionalisasie in die laat 1960's; die totstandkoming van die
eenpartystaat in 1972; die terugkeer tot multiparty demokrasie in 1991;
asook die impak van ekonomiese liberalisering in die 1990's. Hierdie
studies demonstreer in die besonder hoe 'n burokratiese kapitalisteklas,
gekoppel aan staatskorporasies en multinasionale ondernemings gegroei
het en hulle sedert die laat 1970's beywer het vir die liberalisering van die
ekonomie, ten einde hulle nuutgevonde rykdom en mag tot volle wasdom
te laat kom. Die voortgesette invloed van hierdie klas tydens beide die
periodes van eenparty- en multipartyregering word duidelik geïllustreer.
Daarteenoor staan die onwilligheid van die meeste van hierdie outeurs om
hulle eie onderskeie rolle selfkrities te ondersoek - 'n verskynsel
waardeur nasionalistiese mites oor 'n vroeëre generasie geskiedenis
opnuut versterk word.
