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Quick facts on Zambia

Zambia's Coat of Arms

·  Official Name: The Republic of Zambia

· Size: 752,618 sq km. or 290,586 sq m

·  Population: 9,100,000 - 12 per sq km

·  Largest cities:

• Lusaka
• Kitwe
• Ndola

·  Monetary unit: Kwacha - Ngwee

· Languages: English and 73 indigenous languages

DINGISWAYO BANDA

POLITICIAN

Dingiswayo Banda was the first black minister of Housing and Social Development in independent Zambia.

A Ngoni by trade and a bookkeeper by trade, this militant politician joined the United National Independence Party after working with the African National Congress.

He suffered through several imprisonments, the first coming in 1960 and 1961, while serving as UNIP provincial chairman for the Copperbelt.  From 1961 to 1969, he served as UNIP director of youth.

A close confidant of President Kenneth Kaunda for many years, Banda served in various cabinet ministries. Kaunda suspended him briefly for allegedly misappropriating government funds in 1971.

Banda was jailed briefly in 1980 after he was convicted of using his government driver to poach elephants. Kaunda had no choice but to dismiss Banda from the Cabinet later that year.

Banda remained in UNIP through the years and when  Frederick Chiluba and the Movement for Multiparty Democracy won the national elections in 1991, Banda served as leader of the opposition in Parliament.

Banda was suspended from Parliament for three months for accusing then speaker, Robinson Nabulyato, of favoring the ruling MMD.

Banda parted ways with UNIP in 1995 when Kenneth Kaunda regained the leadership of UNIP. Banda joined the MMD.

 He was later appointed diplomat and served his last public office as Zambia’s ambassador to Zimbabwe before retiring in the early 2000s.