Zambia’s Postcolonial Historiography

Overview

This article by Walima T. Kalusa and Bizeck J. Phiri, both from the University of Zambia, introduces the Zambia Social Science Journal’s special issue on Zambia’s postcolonial historiography. Published to coincide with Zambia’s 50th Independence Anniversary, it reflects on how the country’s historical scholarship evolved after independence, highlighting both achievements and persistent gaps in understanding Zambia’s postcolonial experienceIntroduction_ Zambia_s Postcolo….

Purpose

The paper aims to assess how Zambian historians have interpreted the country’s political, social, and cultural evolution since 1964. It traces the progression from colonial and nationalist historiography—which centred on elites and liberation politics—to new approaches that emphasize the voices of ordinary people, subaltern actors, and marginalized groups.

Key Themes in Zambia’s Historiography

1. Colonial Legacy: Early historical writing on Zambia was dominated by European scholars who viewed African societies as static and pre-political, reinforcing colonial power structures. This “colonial-minded historiography” portrayed Zambia’s past as an extension of Western imperial achievementsIntroduction_ Zambia_s Postcolo….
2. Nationalist Narratives (1960s–1980s):
   • Post-independence historians sought to correct colonial distortions by celebrating nationalist leaders—especially Kenneth Kaunda and UNIP—as liberators.
   • However, this approach produced a UNIP-centred narrative that glorified the ruling party while ignoring grassroots movements, opposition figures like Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula, and dissenting voices.
   • Key works focused on nationalism, state-building, and the one-party system but often neglected the lived experiences of ordinary ZambiansIntroduction_ Zambia_s Postcolo….
3. Post-UNIP Reassessments (1990s–2000s):
   • The reintroduction of multiparty democracy in the 1990s encouraged more critical analyses.
   • Scholars began examining issues such as economic liberalisation, democratic consolidation, and autocratic persistence (Baylies & Szeftel 1997; Ihonvbere 1996).
   • Yet, many of these studies remained politically focused, with insufficient attention to social and cultural contextsIntroduction_ Zambia_s Postcolo….
4. Revisionist Scholarship (2005–Present):
   • The Network for Historical Research in Zambia (NHRZ) conference in 2005 and the landmark book One Zambia, Many Histories (Gewald, Hinfelaar & Macola, 2008) marked a major historiographical shift.
   • This movement re-centred subaltern experiences, including women, religious movements (e.g., the Lumpa Church), opposition parties, and social actors neglected in earlier scholarship.
   • Later works—such as Macola’s Liberal Nationalism in Central Africa (2010)—further dismantled nationalist myths and reinterpreted Zambia’s political diversityIntroduction_ Zambia_s Postcolo….

Emerging Research Directions

Kalusa and Phiri highlight several new and underexplored areas of study, including:

• Environmental change and public perceptions of climate risks (Mweemba, 2014).
• Barotseland and secession debates, exploring the historical roots of the 1964 Barotseland Agreement (Bull, 2014).
• Witchcraft and belief systems, revisited through modern and postcolonial lenses (Mufuzi, 2014).
  These topics demonstrate an expanding historiography that integrates social, cultural, and environmental dimensions alongside political historyIntroduction_ Zambia_s Postcolo….

Contributions and Challenges

• Zambia’s postcolonial historiography has become more inclusive, documenting the experiences of previously marginalised communities such as Indians, rural women, and urban labourers.
• However, Kalusa and Phiri note that more research is still needed on issues such as poverty, corruption, donor relations, environmental degradation, women’s cross-border trade, and HIV/AIDS, especially in the one-party and post-liberalisation eras.
• The authors argue that Zambia’s history must move beyond nationalist frameworks to fully capture the diversity, contradictions, and resilience of its societyIntroduction_ Zambia_s Postcolo….

Conclusion

The article concludes that Zambia’s historiography has evolved from colonial and elite-centred narratives toward plural, people-centred interpretations. The ongoing challenge for Zambian historians is to sustain this transformation by exploring neglected themes and amplifying voices from the periphery. The authors express optimism that a new generation of scholars will continue to “reinvigorate Zambia’s postcolonial historiography” through critical and interdisciplinary inquiryIntroduction_ Zambia_s Postcolo….

Citation

Kalusa, W. T., & Phiri, B. J. (2014). Introduction: Zambia’s Postcolonial Historiography. Zambia Social Science Journal, 5(1), Article 3. Cornell Law School Digital Repository. Available at: http://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/zssj/vol5/iss1/3.