Zambia: Frederick Chiluba

Updated October 2001

Frederick Chiluba was born on April 30 1943 in Kitwe but owing to the untimely death of his mother was brought up by an aunt in Masangu. Chiluba performed well at primary school and went to secondary school on scholarship but was expelled for being a "student agitator".

He then went to work for his uncle in a market stall and later became a conductor. In 1963 after managing to save some money he travelled to Tanzania where he tried to enrol at a college to study accounting. His attempt was unsuccessful and he spent the next few years in various jobs. In 1964 he completed a course in bookkeeping and joined Atlas Copco as an invoice clerk. It was here that he career took off when he rose through the ranks of the company eventually becoming its credit manager.

Throughout his varied professional life, Chiluba continued to study via correspondence completing his "O" and "A" levels. He also continued with his political activities which had begun in his school days campaigning for human and workers rights. In 1967 he joined the National Union of Building Engineering and General Workers. By 1971 he had been elected district chairman of the union.

Owing to the recognition he was receiving he was promoted to the position of district chairman and later as chairman of the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU). During the rest of the 1970's Chiluba travelled in Europe, Russia and America studying trade unionism and acting as a delegate for ZCTU. In 1978 he declined an invitation from Kaunda to serve on the UNIP central committee and instituted various industrial actions and strikes against the state. Thus began period of clashes between the state and the trade unions.

Chiluba found himself frequently harassed by officials of the ruling party and ZCTU floundered between being an enemy and an ally of the Kaunda regime. In 1990 the MMD came into being and Chiluba was seen as its natural leader, representing the discontented Zambians.

On coming to power in the 1991 elections, Chiluba endorsed his commitment to democracy. His reign began well with a march to stabilise Zambia's economy by removing price controls and subsidies, reducing regulations and trade barriers, introducing privatisation and encouraging foreign investment. In spite of this positive start the 1990's saw a rise in Zambia's unemployment and a drop in general living standards sparked by a rise in the cost of maize meal. Chiluba's attempt to hold on to power by strategising for a third term after the 1996 elections placed him in a bad light to all those advocating and attempting to uphold democracy both internationally and domestically.

Chiluba has nine children and is married to Vera Tambo.