Statecraft & Independence
Landmark
Julia Chikamoneka
c. 1910 – 1986
Led the women's protests that helped win Zambian independence
Landmark is level 2 of 4 in the Zambia Hall of Fame: a first that opened a door, or the pre-eminent figure of their generation in this country. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
Known as Mama UNIP, she organised protests the colonial authorities could not ignore — including one where the women stripped to the waist in front of the visiting Colonial Secretary.
Born Mary Nsofwa Lombe in Kasama in the Northern Province, Julia Mulenga took the nickname Chikamoneka — it will be seen — to conceal her identity.
She was a fierce campaigner who never showed fear of the colonial authorities, and the protests she led contributed materially to Zambian independence in 1964.
She was a fierce campaigner who never showed fear of the colonial authorities, and the protests she led contributed materially to Zambian independence in 1964.
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