In Memoriam 1992-1997/Albert Kaumba
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ALBERT KAUMBA
1924—1996
lbert Kaumba was born in Angola in 1924 and lived there until he was nineteen years old. He worked for Bata System from 1949 until 1959, when he settled in Mwinilunga District onambia, Chief Kanyama’s area, where he joined the
Albert Kaumhd
New Apostolic Church. He later joined Christian Missions in Many Lands and became a priest. He also was a party chairman for United National Independence Party (UNIP)———a Zambian political party.
In 1974 Mr. Kaumba was taught the Bahá’í Faith by the late Kasito Plain Mukanzu, and he became a Bahá’í that same year. In 1975 he was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly, and as a member he was a delegate attending the fifth Bahá’í International Convention.
Mr. Kaumba was a devoted and steadfast Bahá’í. He lived nine hundred kilometers from the capital Lusaka, and it took him two or three days of traveling to get to National Spiritual Assembly meetings. In the twenty—one years that he was a member, he seldom missed a meeting. His membership on that institution throughout the years provided a golden opportunity for the Assembly to be in touch, through him, with the grass roots. He served it until his tragic death July 29, 1996, in a road accident that occurred on his homeward journey from
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a National Assembly meeting. He had accepted a ride with three other Bahá’ís who were primary healthcare workers going to a
workshop in North—Western province. On.
the way a tire punctured and an axle broke near Chingola. Another Zambian Bahá’í, Gilbert Mukonchi, a clinical medical Officer, also died in the accident. Mr. Kaumba left two wives, (married before he became a Bahá’í), seventeen Children, and twelve grandchildren, many ofwhom are Bahá’ís.
Mr. Kaumba was an active teacher of the Faith. He undertook countless teaching trips and carried out various assignments for the National Spiritual Assembly, and he was instrumental in the expansion of the Faith in North—Western Province. In Mwinilunga District where he lived most of his life, nearly ten percent of the population is now Bahá’í. Over one thousand people came to his Funeral to pay their loving respects. On july 31, 1996, the Universal House of Justice wrote:
DEEPLY GRIEVED TRAGIC DEATH ALBERT KAUMBA. HIS DEVOTED SUSTAINED SERVICES BELOVED FAITH OVER FOUR DECADES WILL BE LONG REMEMBERED. NEWS PASSING GILBERT MUKONCHI SAME ACCIDENT EQUALLY. SADDENING.
CONVEY ALL RELATIVES HEARTFELT SYMPATHY. ASSURE LOVING PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES THEIR SOULS. ALSO PRAYING SPEEDY HEALING INJURED FRIENDS.
From an article submitted by 7776 National Spiritual Assembly oft/ae 811/1475 0szzmbz'a