LIBERAL NATIONALISM IN CENTRAL AFRICA A BIOGRAPHY OF HARRY MWAANGA NKUMBULA (H/C)

THIS BOOK TRANSFORMS OUR CONTEMPORARY UNDERSTANDING OF THE RECENT POLITICAL HISTORY OF CENTRAL AFRICA. IT CHARTS THE COMPLEX LIFE AND THOUGHT OF HARRY NKUMBULA (CA. 1917-1983), THE FIRST OPENLY NATIONALIST AFRICAN POLITICIAN IN NORTHERN RHODESIA AND, LATER, THE LEADER OF PARLIAMENTARY OPPOSITION DURING ZAMBIA'S MULTI-PARTY FIRST REPUBLIC. BASED MAINLY ON HIS PERSONAL PAPERS AND THE NEWLY OPENED ARCHIVES OF UNIP, ZAMBIA'S RULING PARTY BETWEEN 1964 AND 1991, THE VOLUME LOOKS AT HOW NKUMBULA IMAGINED A ZAMBIAN NATION FOR THE FIRST TIME AND, LATER, PRESENTED A LIBERAL-DEMOCRATIC ALTERNATIVE TO UNIP'S STATE-LED DEVELOPMENTALISM. BY EXPLORING THE TRAJECTORY OF NKUMBULA'S ANC, A MINORITY LIBERAL PARTY WITH STRONG ETHNIC ROOTS, THE BOOK THROWS NEW LIGHT ON THE UNDER-ACKNOWLEDGED FRACTIOUSNESS OF ZAMBIAN NATIONALISM. IT WARNS AGAINST DISMISSING THE ONGOING DEMOCRATIZATION PROCESS AS MERELY PROOF OF THE AFRICAN ELITES' KNACK FOR ETERNALLY RECYCLING THEMSELVES.