Valentine Musakanya
Valentine Musakanya | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Valentine Musakanya. Source: Bank of Zambia | |
| Born | 1932 |
| Died | 1994 |
| Nationality | Zambian |
| Education | Oxford University |
| Occupation | Civil servant, businessman |
| Years active | 1960s–1994 |
| Known for | Secretary to the Treasury of Zambia, involvement in the 1980 coup attempt |
Notable work | Behind the Closed Doors |
Valentine Shula Musakanya (1932 – 1994) was a prominent Zambian civil servant, businessman, and political figure. He is best known for his role in Zambia's early post-independence government and for his alleged involvement in the 1980 coup attempt against President Kenneth Kaunda. Musakanya was an influential figure in the Zambian political landscape, particularly during the 1960s and 1970s, and his legacy remains significant in Zambia's history.
Early Life and Education
Valentine Musakanya was born in 1932 at Nkunkulusha’s village under Chief Munkonge in Kasama district, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). He came from a well-educated background and pursued higher education in the United Kingdom, where he studied at various institutions, including Oxford University. His academic training prepared him for a career in public service, and he returned to Zambia shortly before the country gained independence in 1964.
Civil Service Career
Musakanya was one of the early members of Zambia's post-independence civil service. He became the first Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of the Civil Service. He was subsequently a Member of Parliament and a Government Minister.
Bank of Zambia governor
From 1970 to 1972, Musakanya served as Governor of the Bank of Zambia, making him the third governor to hold that position in post-independence Zambia.
Education and vocational training
In 1969, he served as Minister of State (deputy minister) for Technical and Vocational Education, a role in which he energetically pursued the creation of new technical colleges, designed to address Zambia’s vast skills gap and to provide practical training and education outside the academic environs of the new University of Zambia. Having learned to fly, he regularly visited the construction sites for the new technical colleges in his personal plane; he also established a programme for the training of Zambian pilots.
He started the youth awareness-raising magazine Orbit which helped foster a reading culture among young Zambians. This was a project he initiated in collaboration with Wendy Bond and Peter Clark during his tenure as Minister of State for Technical Education.
Business Ventures
After his career in government service, Musakanya transitioned into the private sector. He became involved in various business ventures, particularly in the banking and finance industries. His expertise in economic matters made him a valuable figure in Zambia's emerging business community, and he held leadership roles in several companies.
Despite his success in business, Musakanya remained interested in the political and economic trajectory of Zambia. He was critical of some of the government’s policies, particularly its growing authoritarianism under President Kaunda’s United National Independence Party (UNIP).
1980 Coup Attempt
In 1980, Musakanya's name became linked to a failed coup attempt against President Kenneth Kaunda. The coup, allegedly planned by a group of Zambian military officers and civilians, aimed to overthrow the government and install a new regime. Musakanya was accused of being one of the civilian leaders behind the plot.
The coup attempt failed, and Musakanya, along with several others, was arrested and charged with treason. He was put on trial in what became one of Zambia’s most high-profile legal cases. The evidence presented at the trial was largely circumstantial, but Musakanya was found guilty and sentenced to death.
Musakanya was released from prison in 1985. Many of his friends, including Edward Shamwana, remained on death row until they received a Presidential pardon in 1990.
Later Life and Legacy
After his release, Valentine Musakanya lived a relatively quiet life, focusing on business and personal matters. Despite his earlier prominence, he remained outside of the political spotlight for the remainder of his life. Though his legacy is often overshadowed by the failed coup attempt, he is remembered for his significant contributions to Zambia’s civil service during the formative years of the nation. His role in shaping the country's economic policies in the 1960s and his commitment to public service remain notable aspects of his career.
Death
Musakanya’s health never entirely recovered from his period in detention. He suffered from respiratory problems in the last years of his life, and died in March 1994, aged 63.
Publications
Valentine Musakanya’s personal writings and reflections on his experiences, particularly during his imprisonment, were published posthumously in a collection titled Valentine Musakanya: Behind the Closed Doors. This collection provides insight into the political atmosphere of Zambia in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as Musakanya’s thoughts on governance, leadership, and his personal ordeal.
The Musakanya Papers
The Musakanya Papers refer to a collection of writings by Valentine Musakanya, which were compiled and published posthumously under the title Valentine Musakanya: Behind the Closed Doors. These papers provide a rare and intimate glimpse into Musakanya's thoughts on Zambian politics, his role in the country's early post-independence civil service, and his personal reflections during his time in prison.
The writings detail Musakanya's experiences following the 1980 coup attempt, for which he was arrested and imprisoned. In these papers, Musakanya addresses the charges of treason, the political climate of the time, and his views on the leadership of President Kenneth Kaunda and the one-party state system under the United National Independence Party (UNIP).
The papers also offer insight into Musakanya's critiques of Zambia's governance and economic policies, providing a perspective from someone who had been deeply involved in the country's financial and administrative sectors during the formative years of independence. The collection is valued as an important historical document, shedding light on the political struggles of Zambia during the 1970s and 1980s, as well as Musakanya's personal ordeal and reflections on leadership, governance, and justice. It remains one of the few detailed personal accounts from a prominent Zambian figure involved in the country's post-independence political turmoil.
See Also
- Kenneth Kaunda
- Zambia's coup attempts
- Zambia's independence movement
- United National Independence Party (UNIP)
References
- Sardanis, Andrew. Africa: Another Side of the Coin: Northern Rhodesia's Final Years and Zambia's Nationhood. I.B. Tauris, 2003.
- Phiri, Bizeck Jube. A Political History of Zambia: From Colonial Rule to Independence, 1890-1964. Edwin Mellen Press, 2006.
- Valentine Musakanya. Behind the Closed Doors. Lusaka: Zambia Educational Publishing House, 1993.
- Gewald, Jan-Bart, Marja Hinfelaar, and Giacomo Macola. One Zambia, Many Histories: Towards a History of Post-colonial Zambia. Brill, 2008.