After weeks of mockery, a statue honoring Zambia’s first President, Kenneth Kaunda, has been removed. The workmanship was criticized by residents of Kabwe town in Central Province, with many claiming that the statue does not resemble Kaunda.
Authorities wrapped the statue in a protective sheet earlier this month after it was vandalized.
Many Zambians have compared the Kabwe statue to another of Kaunda, which was unveiled in the capital Lusaka in December and has been described as “stately” and “respectable” by some.
Dr. Andrew Mulenga, a historian, and academic head at Zambia’s Open Window University for the Creative Arts believes he understands why the Kabwe sculpture received more criticism than the one in Lusaka.
“Based on my experience covering the visual arts, the Zambian audience prefers ‘naturalistic’ or ‘hyper realistic’ artworks. In other words, it prefers artwork that bears a striking resemblance to its subject. “This is why genres like abstract art don’t sit well,” he says.
“From what I saw on social media, the Kabwe statue… was constantly mocked as a caricature due to its somewhat odd anatomical features and ‘poor’ craftsmanship.”
The statue was finally removed by Kabwe authorities on Wednesday morning, but it is unclear whether it will be displayed elsewhere or if a new one will be commissioned. Kaunda died two years ago at the age of 97, the last of a generation of African leaders who fought colonial rule.
