Mulungushi Rock of Authority, also known as Mulungushi Rock, is a

kopje An inselberg or monadnock () is an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain. In Southern Africa a similar formation of granite is known as a koppie, a ...

(isolated rock hill) in the Central Province of

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...

associated with major political gatherings and speeches. Situated near the

Mulungushi River The Mulungushi River in central Zambia is a tributary of the Lunsemfwa River and a part of the Zambezi River basin. It rises on the plateau north-west of Kabwe and flows south-east into the Luangwa Rift Valley where it joins the Lunsemfwa. The ...

north of

Kabwe Kabwe is the capital of the Zambian Central Province and the Kabwe District, with a population estimated at 202,914 at the 2010 census. Named Broken Hill until 1966, it was founded when lead and zinc deposits were discovered in 1902. Kabwe also ...

, it was first used in 1958 for a rally of the

Zambian African National Congress The Northern Rhodesia Congress was a political party in Zambia. History The Northern Rhodesia Congress party was formed in 1940, as the Northern Rhodesia Congress (NRC) or Northern Rhodesia African Congress (NRAC). Godwin Lewanika, a Barotseland ...

and then in 1960 for the first conference of the newly-formed

United National Independence Party The United National Independence Party (UNIP) is a political party in Zambia. It governed the country from 1964 to 1991 under the socialist presidency of Kenneth Kaunda, and was the sole legal party in the country between 1973 and 1990. On 4 A ...

. Since 1964, it has been regularly used by political parties for their annual conventions and meetings. A national symbol, the Rock of Authority is called "the birthplace of Zambian independence".

History

Mulungushi Rock was first used for an October 26, 1958 rally of the

(ZANC) under the leadership of

Kenneth Kaunda Kenneth David Kaunda (28 April 1924 – 17 June 2021), also known as KK, was a Zambian politician who served as the first President of Zambia from 1964 to 1991. He was at the forefront of the struggle for independence from British rule. Dissat ...

. When Kaunda and other nationalists broke away from the ZANC and launched their own political party, the

(UNIP), in 1960, they chose the isolated site to hold their first party conference where it would not draw the attention of the

North Rhodesia Northern Rhodesia was a British protectorate in south central Africa, now the independent country of Zambia. It was formed in 1911 by amalgamating the two earlier protectorates of Barotziland-North-Western Rhodesia and North-Eastern Rhodesia ...

n authorities. The area was centrally located, however, enabling more participants to come from all parts of the country. Situated near the

approximately north of

Broken Hill Broken Hill is an inland mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. It is near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (A32) and the Silver City Highway (B79), in the Barrier Range. It is ...

(later renamed

), the Rock could accommodate up to 2,000 people for outdoor speeches and for lodging in temporary shelters. The river guaranteed a water source for large crowds, as did a small

dambo A dambo is a class of complex shallow wetlands in central, southern and eastern Africa, particularly in Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe. They are generally found in higher rainfall flat plateau areas and have river-like branching forms which in themsel ...

flowing from the north. The conference organizers received a permit to use the land but were not allowed to cut down trees or gather wood for fires; they were required to purchase wood from the Mpima Forestry Offices distant. Meeting place near the Mulungushi Rock of Authority

Meeting place near the Mulungushi Rock of Authority

More than 2,000 people attended that 1960 conference, which put the UNIP on the political map and helped it become the primary party in the Zambian independence movement. Joseph Katampi, party secretary from the

Mkushi Mkushi is a town in the Central Province of Zambia, located on the Great North Road and the Tazara railway, northeast of Kapiri Mposhi. The Changwena Falls and Fort Elwes (built-in 1896 by European gold prospectors) lie nearby. Mkushi is we ...

constituency, recalled in 2014:

"When we gathered at Mulungushi Rock, we resolved to take any course of action by using any means to indicate our seriousness about independence to the white government ... we resolved not to compromise with the British government's interest of giving us the
Macleod MacLeod, McLeod and Macleod ( ) which cited: are surnames in the English language. Generally, the names are considered to be Anglicised forms of the Scottish Gaelic ', meaning "son of '". One of the earliest occurrences of the surname is of Gi ...
constitution but a constitution that allowed for
one man, one vote "One man, one vote", or "one person, one vote", expresses the principle that individuals should have equal representation in voting. This slogan is used by advocates of political equality to refer to such electoral reforms as universal suffrage, ...
".

After Zambia achieved independence in 1964, the UNIP staged its annual conference and other meetings at Mulungushi Rock, including the 1967 council meeting noted for

Simon Kapwepwe Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe (April 12, 1922 – January 26, 1980) was a Zambian politician, anti-colonialist and author who served as the second vice-president of Zambia from 1967 to 1970. Early life Simon Kapwepwe was born on 12 April 1922 in the C ...

's announcing his candidacy for vice-president of the party and Kaunda resigning from the party presidency for a few hours. The UNIP also used the site for major policy addresses, such as the Mulungushi Reforms of 1968 and a major land policy reform in 1975. According to O'Sullivan, the site began to be called the Rock of Authority "with the party's decisions handed down with quasi-divine authority as from an oracle". Chalets near the Mulungushi Rock of Authority

Chalets near the Mulungushi Rock of Authority

The Rock of Authority went on to become the venue for many other political events, including conventions of the

Movement for Multi-Party Democracy The Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) also known as New Hope MMD is a political party in Zambia. Originally formed to oust the previous government, MMD controlled an absolute majority in parliament between 1991 and 2001, when its past lead ...

and the Patriotic Front. Labour groups also conduct conferences here. Since 2009,

Mulungushi University Mulungushi University is one of the public universities of Zambia. Previously known as the National College of Management and Development Studies, it was turned into a university by the Zambian Government in a public-private partnership with Kon ...

has held its annual graduation ceremony at the Rock of Authority. Although the Rock is often said to be located in Kabwe, it is in fact located outside that city. In 1994 the Rock was incorporated into the

Kapiri Mposhi District Kapiri Mposhi District is a district of Zambia, located in Central Province. The capital lies at Kapiri Mposhi. As of the 2010 Zambian Census, the district had a population of 240,638 people. Geography The district borders with Copperbelt Provinc ...

, as was nearby Mulungushi University. The Mulungushi River serves as the boundary between Kabwe and the Kapiri Mposhi District.

Nearby facilities

In 1972 the UNIP founded an institute for labour studies, the President's Citizens College, near the Rock of Authority. A branch of

was established a few kilometres away in January 2008. The university erected a commercial centre to accommodate groups indoors; most political conventions are now held there. The centre includes a conference room with capacity for 1,000 attendees, 21

chalet A chalet (pronounced in British English; in American English usually ), also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, typical of the Alpine region in Europe. It is made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof and wide, well-suppo ...

-style apartments, and a restaurant.

References

Sources

* * * * {{citation, chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=2McwAQAAIAAJ&q=mulungushi+rock+of+authority, chapter=Discovery of Mulungushi (Rock of Authority) Conference Site, title=The memoirs of Alexander Grey Zulu, year=2007, first=Alexander Grey, last=Zulu, authorlink=Alexander Grey Zulu, publisher= Times Printpak Zambia, isbn= 978-9982130622 National symbols of Zambia Geography of Central Province, Zambia Politics of Zambia Inselbergs of Africa