Wednesday 31st March 2010
Dear Jeremy,
This was a time of great unrest in Northern Rhodesia. Kenneth Kaunda was rounding up support for his UNIP party. His rival, Harry Nkumbula [See comment below] was more willing to co-operate so there were violent clashes and people were killed and hurt. We relied on newspapers, flown in from Lusaka, for news. There was no electricity in Kasama to plug in radios and no transistors of course
Michael thoroughly enjoyed touring and visiting schools in the bush. He was warmly welcomed wherever he went. For one tour he had head porters as he had to walk for days. Interesting, an officer was allowed a certain number of porters depending on his status in the service but I do not remember how many he was allowed. He had to cross a river where he swam with some happy laughing children somewhere there is a photograph. As it was so hot he swallowed salt tablets to replenish the salt lost while sweating in the hot humid atmosphere. He also carried a gun supplied by the administration in case he should meet any ferocious wild animals. To his great relief there were no wild animals on his path through the bush.
At one school he found the children all had goitres so he asked for iodine tablets to be supplied to the school.
The parents at one of the bush schools asked for another teacher. Michael said if they built the classroom he would get a teacher for them. He did some creative accounting and when the class room was ready he brought them a new teacher. There was much celebration and happiness until the next morning when he received news that members of UNIP had burnt the classroom down in the night. Everyone was deeply shocked. Mike went back to the village to commiserate and help the people who were so very upset.
I am not sure if that was the time or it was another time when a compound of cattle was also burnt down and the cattle as well or if it was another time. It was not cattle country because of the tsetse fly but somehow these had been brought in by the Agricultural Department as an experiment.
This was a very busy time for me. I always seemed to be feeding someone - breakfast for Dad and Jill before they went to work and school. Then Celia who was only 21 months had her breakfast at nine and finally Tim was bathed and feed at ten. I had no sooner had my morning cup of tea and it was time to start all over again for lunch and feeding the baby again.
We always had rest time after lunch in the Tropics and even if the children did not sleep they lay on their beds and played quietly. Jill was very good and she kept Celia happy either by reading to her or playing with paper dolls round which she always wove a story.
Every afternoon we would go for a walk down the road or a little way into the veld.
We were invited to a Guy Fawkes fireworks party where there was nearly a mishap when a rocket, instead of going up, flew round in a circle. Fortunately no one was hurt. I have always been wary of fireworks since then.
This was also the time when the Monckton Commission was set up to break the Federation and give independence to Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia and Nyasaland now called Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. I cannot remember the names of all the people who were involved but they must be written down somewhere. I just recall at this moment Sir Roy Welensky of Southern Rhodesia where there was much resistance. Southern Rhodesia was called the bread basket of the Federation. The farmers grew the crops and the ranches supplied the cattle while the tobacco farmers brought in the money. The Copperbelt was rich and supplied the means for further development of schools, hospitals, roads and hydro-electric schemes like Kafue. Nyasaland was just poor.
The people were encouraged to write to the Monckton Commission with their objections and positive ideas. We were surprised to find that Dr. Shepherd of Lovedale was on the Committee. Government employees were not allowed to write so I wrote a letter. Do not remember what I said perhaps it is somewhere amongst Dads papers. I think I might have suggested that the electorate should have some educational qualifications.
We once visited the Hydro-electric dam at Kafue when it was being built. It was quite awe-inspiring to stand at the bottom and look up at the high wall before it filled with water.
Then it was Christmas again and a fancy dress party was organised for the children once again. Val had sent Celia for her birthday a sailor dress so she went as Sweet Pea and Christopher as Popeye the Sailorman he had Dad's pipe this time. Jill, I think, was Annie Oakley. Christopher and Celia entered for the pairs competition. After he had endured taking her round and round he came to us absolutely furious and said: "Dont you ever ask me to do anything with that child again" - Whereupon the announcement was made. Winner of the pairs, Popeye and Sweet Pea
Tim was dressed as a pink bunny. Will he ever forgive us?.
Next time Abercorn
Love you, Mum