ZAMBIA: INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATIONS IN LUSAKA/HANDING OVER OF INSTRUMENTS OF INDEPENDENCE BY PRINCESS ROYAL.

Record ID: 425462

  • Title: ZAMBIA: INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATIONS IN LUSAKA/HANDING OVER OF INSTRUMENTS OF INDEPENDENCE BY PRINCESS ROYAL.
  • Date: 25th October 1964
  • Summary: 1. GV NIGHT..DANCERS (3 SHOTS) 0.21 2. SV J.NYERERE ARRIVES FOR CEREMONY 0.32 3. SV DR. KAUNDA ARRIVES 0.50 4. SV PRINCESS ROYAL ARRIVES, GREETED BY KAUNDA 1.07 5. GV PRINCESS ROYAL KAUNDA & OTHERS ON ROSTRUM 1.13 6. SV NEW FLAG RAISED 1.20 7. GV PARTY ON ROSTRUM 1.22 8. SV FLAG FLYING 1.26 9. GV FIREWORKS DISPLAY (4 SHOTS) 1.49 10. KAUNDA ARRIVES FOR INDEPENDENCE CEREMONY (2 SHOTS) 2.05 11. SV PRINCESS ROYAL ARRIVES 2.19 12. GV NEW FLAG FLYING 2.23 13. GV PRINCESS ROYAL HANDS OVER GOVERNMENT INSTRUMENT TO KAUNDA 2.39 14. LV GUNS FIRING, PAN TO GUARD OF HONOUR (2 SHOTS) 2.54 Initials RM/V/CR/BB RM/V/CR/ES EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: VISNEWS PRODUCTION NUMBER 9807/64 -- "ZAMBIA: PRINCESS ROYAL AND PRESIDENT KAUNDA RECEIVE FREEDOM OF CITY IN LUSAKA" -- SERVICED YESTERDAY (24 OCTOBER 1964) -- ALSO REFERS. Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 9th November 1964 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LUSAKA, ZAMBIA
  • Country: Zambia
  • Reuters ID: LVA6JIUA9X0ZR8XE7HG11WZU49N1
  • Story Text: IN A FORMAL CEREMONY IN LUSAKA YESTERDAY (SATURDAY) THE PRESIDENT OF ZAMBIA, DR. KENNETH KAUNDA, RECEIVED THE INSTRUMENTS OF HIS COUNTRY'S INDEPENDENCE FROM THE PRINCESS ROYAL, REPRESENTING QUEEN ELIZABETH.

    THE NEW REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA -- FORMERLY THE BRITISH PROTECTORATE OF NORTHERN RHODESIA -- REACHED INDEPENDENCE AT MID-NIGHT ON FRIDAY NIGHT, AFTER 70 YEARS OF BRITISH RULE. CELEBRATIONS EARLIER IN THE NIGHT INCLUDED A PERFORMANCE IN LUSAKA OF MORE THAN 1,000 DANCERS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

    AT MIDNIGHT, THE UNION JACK WAS LOWERED CEREMONIALLY AND ZAMBIA'S NEW FLAG WAS UNFURLED TO THE CHEERS OF SPECTATORS AND THE BOOMING OF CANNON. THE FLAG IS RED, BLACK, ORANGE AND GREEN, AND EMBLAZONED WITH AN EAGLE. THE NIGHT'S CELEBRATIONS ENDED WITH A FIREWORKS DISPLAY.

    DR. KAUNDA WAS SWORN IN AS FIRST PRESIDENT OF ZAMBIA BY THE COUNTRY'S NEW CHIEF JUSTICE THE NEXT DAY. ALL FORMAL CEREMONIES TOOK PLACE IN A GIANT STADIUM THE SIZE OF FIVE FOOTBALL FIELDS AND SPECIALLY BUILT FOR THE OCCASION. THEY WERE ATTENDED BY A HUGE CROWD INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES FROM MORE THAN 60 COUNTRIES. AMONG THEM WAS PRESIDENT NYERERE OF TANGANYIKA-ZANZIBAR.

    AFTER HE HAD TAKEN THE OATH OF OFFICE, PRESIDENT KAUNDA RECEIVED THE INSTRUMENTS OF INDEPENDENCE FROM THE PRINCESS ROYAL. A FANFARE OF TRUMPETS SOUNDED AND THE HUGE CROWD CHEERED. PRESIDENT KAUNDA THEN MADE HIS FIRST PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH, SAYING HE LOOKED FORWARD TO "THE GROWTH OF A NEW POLITICAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AS WE EMERGE AS A FULL AND EQUAL MEMBER OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS."
    ZAMBIA IS THE 20TH INDEPENDENT AFRICAN STATE WITHIN THE COMMONWEALTH. THREE TIMES THE SIZE OF BRITAIN, ZAMBIA HAS A POPULATION OF ABOUT 3,500,000.

    (PRESIDENT KAUNDA AND PRESIDENT NYERERE HAVE WRITTEN A JOINT LETTER TO THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, MR. WILSON, EXPRESSING APPRECIATION FOR HIS INSISTENCE THAT ANY GOVERNMENT IN RHODESIA SHOULD REPRESENT ALL THE PEOPLE BEFORE IT RECEIVED INDEPENDENCE. PRESIDENT KAUNDA REVEALED THIS AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY.)
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