A House in Zambia. Recollections of the ANC and Oxfam at 250 Zambezi Road, Lusaka, 1967-97

Description

This is a story about a house with a history and about the people who lived or worked there. It captures something of the spirit of the times in the worlds of politics and development, and it discusses the links which were established between Oxfam GB in Zambia and the African National Congress of South Africa.

Sujets

• History

Informations

• Publié par: Gadsden Publishers
• Date de parution: 15 novembre 2008
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9789982240659
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 34 Mo

Extrait

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RECOLlecTIoNS ÔF tHÉ AnÇ aD ôXfĀM À 250 ZàmBézi râd, UsáK 1967-

editED by RoBIn Palmér

A HOUSE IN ZAMBIA

RECOLLECTIONS OF THE ANC AND OXFAM AT 250 ZAMBEZI ROAD, LUSAKA, 1967-97

edited by Robin Palmer

Bookworld Publishers

Bookworld Publishers P.O. Box 32581, Lusaka, Zambia 2008

Preface, Introduction, Chapters 5, 11 and 12 and selection © Robin Palmer 2008 The moral rights of the authors have been asserted

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Photographs of Jack and Ray Simons first published inComrade Jackand of 250 Zambezi Rd first published inAll my Life and all my Strengthreproduced by kind permission STE Publishers, South Africa.

ISBN: 978-9982-24-051-2

Printed by Mission Press

Dedicated to the memory of Jack Simons(1907-1995), Ray Alexander Simons(1913-2004), and Susanna ‘Susie’ Smith(1951-2006).

Susie Smith (1951-2006) who began this book and was the inspiration behind its completion.

I

II

Brief Chronology Note on Contributors Preface

CONTENTS

Background 1 Robin Palmer, Introduction 2Hugh Macmillan, The Story of a House – 250 Zambezi Road, Roma Township, Lusaka – the Simons, the ANC and Oxfam 3Tanya Barben, ‘Entabeni’ – A Home in Lusaka away from Home 4Peter Wiles, Oxfam in Southern Africa in the 1980s 5Robin Palmer, Oxfam’s Support to the ANC in Zambia in the 1980s

The Oxfam Representatives in Zambia 6Susie Smith(1979-84) 7Anne Lloyd-Williams(interim, mid 1984) 8Mike Edwards(1984-88) 9Pushpanath(1988-92) 10Lucy Muyoyeta(1993-97)

III The Oxfam Desk Officer and Regional Manager 11Robin Palmer(1987-95) 12Robin PalmerBuying 250 Zambezi Road for Oxfam (1990-92)

IV The Incredible Oxfam Support Staff 13Dorothy Chikula(1980-93) 14Malatino Daka(1980-98) 15Wilson Kaonza(1981-96) 16Lazarous Chewe(1989-95) 17Victor Pelekamoyo(1992-97)

V

Some Friends of Oxfam 18Gabriel C Banda, 250 Zambezi Road A Friend’s View 19Sue Cavanna, A Recollection of 250 Zambezi Road, Lusaka in 1982-83

VI Two Postscripts, 2004-05 20Gabriel C Banda, Susanna ‘Susie’ Smith returns to Zambia after seventeen years, October 2004

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1 3

9 29 37 45

51 53 65 67 71 75

81 83 89

97 99 109 111 115 123

129 131

143

145

147

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7

.

21Martin Kalungu-Banda, Susie Smith’s final visit to Zambia, May 2005

Closing thoughts 22Kevin Watkins, Obituary for Susanna ‘Susie’ Smith 23Izzy Birch (1986-93), Closing Thoughts

153

159 161 167

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250 ZAMBEZI ROAD – A BRIEF CHRONOLOGY

1965 250 Zambezi Road, Roma, Lusaka (‘Entabeni’) bought by Jack and Ray Simons Late 1967 Jack and Ray Simons occupy 250 Zambezi Road Mid-1979 Oxfam GB moves its Zambia and Malawi office from Blantyre to Lusaka for Front Line States reasons – ANC, SWAPO, UNIN are there 1980 Susanna ‘Susie’ Smith arrives as Oxfam Field Director for Zambia and Malawi Late 1980 Susie Smith moves into a house on the 250 Zambezi Road compound, owned by Jack and Ray Simons, leading ANC activists 1984 Mike Edwards succeeds Susie Smith as Oxfam Field Director, later Regional Representative, for Zambia and Malawi 1988 Pushpanath succeeds Mike Edwards as Oxfam Regional Representative for Zambia and Malawi 1990 The Simons decide to return home to South Africa, offer Oxfam first option to buy the whole 250 Zambezi Road compound. Oxfam (Hugh Belshaw) agrees. In a lengthy legal process, Robin Palmer buys it for Oxfam, which then moves its office from Cairo Road into what had been the Simons’ house 1992-3 Oxfam Zambia’s responses to severest drought for fifty years arguably its finest hour 1993 Lucy Muyoyeta succeeds Pushpanath as Oxfam Regional Representative for Zambia and Malawi 1995 Death of Jack Simons 1995 Oxfam’s Malawi programme becomes ‘independent’ from Zambia 1997 Lucy Muyoyeta steps down as Country Representative for Zambia

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2004 2004

2005

2006

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Death of Ray Simons Susie Smith returns to Zambia for the first time since 1987 to work on HIV and AIDS. She starts to write ‘a record of the life and times in 250 Zambezi Road’ and encourages Mike Edwards and Puspanath to write Susie Smith’s last visit to Zambia, to work on HIV and AIDS. Accompanied by Martin Kalungu-Banda, she meets President Levy Mwanawasa and ex-President Kenneth Kaunda Death of Susie Smith

NOTE ON CONTRIBUTORS

Robin Palmertaught History at the University of Zambia, 1971-77. He joined Oxfam in 1987, was Desk Officer for Zambia, 1987-91 and Regional Manager for Zambia, 1991-94. He bought 250 Zambezi Road for Oxfam, 1990-92. He later worked on land rights, retired from Oxfam in 2007, and currently works through an Oxford-based consultancy group, Mokoro Ltd.

Hugh Macmillanfirst visited the Simons at 250 Zambezi Road in January 1969 while doing postgraduate research. He taught History at the University of Zambia, 1978-95 and was a frequent visitor to the Simons and to Susie Smith. He is currently attached to the African Studies Centre at Oxford University and is undertaking research for a book on the history of the ANC in exile in Zambia.

Tanya Barbenis the younger daughter of Jack and Ray Simons. She remained in South Africa while her parents were in exile, but made some 20 visits to them in Zambia. She has spent her entire working life in the employ of the University of Cape Town Libraries where she is presently Rare Books Librarian.

Peter Wilesjoined Oxfam in 1975, worked in Eastern India until 1980, became Field Secretary for Southern Africa in 1980, the first UK-based Regional Representative for South Africa, Namibia and Lesotho in 1982, and then Area Coordinator for what was called Africa South (East, Central and Southern Africa), 1984-88. After four years as Deputy Director, Child Poverty Action Group in London, he has worked as an international development and humanitarian consultant and is also developing a late career as a photographer.

Susanna ‘Susie’ Smithwas Oxfam's Field Director for Zambia and Malawi, 1980- 84, and was the first Oxfam tenant at 250 Zambezi Road from 1980. She worked in Oxford in the Public Affairs Unit, 1985-92, from where she wroteFront Line Africa – the Right to a Future(1990) and was a prominent voice in Oxfam’s campaigning against apartheid South Africa. She battled against cancer for many years. Her last position in Oxfam was Deputy International Director, 1988-2006. She died on 23 June 2006.

Anne Lloyd-Williamswas Oxfam’s Desk Officer for Zambia, 1982-87 and acting Field Director for Zambia during part of Susie Smith's maternity leave in mid-1984. She transferred to work on Lusophone Southern and then Francophone Central

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