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FM

Dr. Fergus Macpherson

— Third Division
Posthumous Gazette No. 1129
Citation

“YOU WERE BORN ON 9TH AUGUST, 1921 IN NEWMILNS, SCOTLAND. WHEREBY, YOU ARRIVED IN NORTHERN RHODESIA IN 1946 AND APPOINTED AS A MISSIONARY OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND IN MUFULIRA DISTRICT ON THE COPPERBELT PROVINCE. WHERE YOU FIRST WITNESSED THE ‘COLOUR BAR’ IN ACTION AND YOU OPPOSED TO THE RACISM. YOU WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THE BREAKDOWN OF THE RACIAL BARRIERS, CULMINATING IN THE FIRST INTERRACIAL GENERAL MISSIONARY CONFERENCE HELD IN MUFULIRA IN 1949. AS A RESULT OF YOUR REFUSAL TO OBSERVE THE RULES OF SEGREGATION YOU WERE EVENTUALLY DISCHARGED FROM YOUR DUTIES IN THE ‘WHITE’ CHURCH. AS A KEEN AND TALENTED LINGUIST, YOU WERE SENT TO LUBWA MISSION FOR INTENSIVE LANGUAGE STUDY WHERE YOU MET THE LATE DR. KENNETH KAUNDA. YOU AUTHORED A BOOK CALLED KENNETH KAUNDA OF ZAMBIA, THE TIMES AND THE MAN, THE FIRST AUTHORISED BIOGRAPHY OF DR. KENNETH KAUNDA, PUBLISHED IN 1975. YOU WERE INVOLVED IN THE TRANSLATION OF THE PSALMS INTO NAMWANGA, AND THE RETRANSLATION OF SECTIONS OF THE BIBLE INTO BEMBA. YOU WERE APPOINTED THE FIRST DEAN OF STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA WHEN IT OPENED IN 1965. LATER YOU WERE EMPLOYED BY THE GOVERNMENT AT THE KENNETH KAUNDA FOUNDATION WHERE YOU WROTE A HISTORY TEXT BOOK FOR ZAMBIAN SCHOOLS TO REPLACE THE BRITISH EMPIRE BASED VERSION. YOU ALSO WROTE TWO NOVELS BASED ON CENTRAL AFRICA: ONE BLOOD, AND ONE FINGER. IN 1976, YOU WERE AWARDED YOUR PHD BY THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH. YOUR CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE STRUGGLE FOR ZAMBIA’S INDEPENDENCE IS WORTHY OF SPECIAL COMMENDATION.”

Award Details
Award
Individual
Division
Third Division
Event
Independence Day
Date Awarded
25 October 2024
Venue
Show Grounds
Award Type
Individual
Summary
GenderMale
ProvinceLusaka
District—
Gazette No.1129
Gazette Vol.124
Gazette Date2024-10-21 00:00:00
PosthumousYes
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