Sylvester Mwamba Chisembele (1 March 1930 – 5 February 2006) was an ex-seminarian and cabinet minister in Zambia's first and second governments.
Early life
Sylvester began his primary education in Fort Rosebery and in 1942 he entered Lubushi Seminary in the Northern Province where he completed Standard VI. His father Michael Filalo Chisembele and uncle Romano Filalo Lupambo had come from Mporokoso via Kawambwa to Fort Rosebery in 1915 and started lay-preaching under the direction of visiting priests attached to the Lubwe Mission. Michael Filalo Chisembele was later sent to Rosa Catechist School where he was formally trained as a lay-preacher and teacher. On his return to Fort Rosebery, they encountered great difficulties with the District Commissioner which were resolved after the intervention of the Lubwe Mission priests and the Bishop at Chilubula, in order for them to start to build the first Roman Catholic churches and schools. Michael Filalo Chisembele and his brother Romano established the first Roman Catholic church in Fort Rosebery in 1920. They also encountered initial problems with the Chiefs which were overcome. Schools were built with mud, sand and wood for the roofs by the people converted to Catholicism in the surrounding areas. This was the strong religious background to Sylvester's early life. In 1948 he was asked to leave the Seminary due to disagreements on racial equality, his views were considered too radical for that period in time.
Business
As a trader of finger millet he made enough money to invest in a restaurant and a bakery. He had also introduced Mikwau Fishing Nets on Lake Bangweulu.
Activism
He joined the African National Congress. By 1955, Mr Chisembele had organised a firm ANC base in Fort Rosebery (Mansa) using his own resources. At Lubwe Mission with the full participation of Mr Sylvester Muchengwa and Mr Protasio Kamayanda, both leading personalities and leaders in the Catholic Church, the ANC spread rapidly.
In 1956 Mr Chisembele along with three of his colleagues, were all sent to prison in Fort Rosebery and Ndola's Bwana Mkubwa prison for 9 months with hard labour.
Upon their return, Mr Chisembele continued organising the ANC and was elected Provincial General Secretary of Luapula Province in 1957.
In May 1958 there was an assassination attempt on his life. His life was saved by villagers who ran to his rescue, but the incident left him with a shattered eardrum and impaired hearing for the rest of his life
In 1958 Mr Chisembele was called to Lusaka to accompany Mr Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula, leader of African National Congress, on a tour of Luapula Province. The tour was not a success. When there was a split in October 1958, Chisembele formed the Zambia African National Congress (ZANC) party. UNIP was built on the ashes of the ZANC, which the British colonial governor banned.
On 12 March 1959 Mr Chisembele was arrested and detained at Kalabo, in the Barotse Province, now Western Province, for 9 months under the restriction order of Governor Sir Arthur Benson.
In July 1961, Mr Chisembele successfully organised the burning of the colonial identity cards commonly known as "Chitupas" throughout Luapula Province. Mr Chisembele was imprisoned for three months with hard labour in Milima prison in Kasama District.
Between 1956 and 1962 Mr Chisembele was many times imprisoned ranging from one month to three months for addressing meetings without a permit and on some occasions for addressing indoor meetings without a permit, although these meetings were of Party members and did not, by law, require any permit.
Government
After independence, Mr Chisembele served in many portfolios in government in different ministries and at Cabinet Minister level in various provinces.
In 1968 general elections, the ruling party UNIP lost all seats in Barotse Province to opposition ANC. In 1969 Mr Chisembele was transferred from Copperbelt to the Barotse Province as Cabinet Minister. He established an excellent working relationship with the Litunga, Mbikushita Lewanika and enjoyed the support of his KUTA and the Ngambela SUU. By 1970 he not only won back the province to UNIP but also had all the MPs cross the floor to UNIP, a feat that drew him congratulations from all his colleagues including telegrams of congratulations from Hon. Sikota Wina amongst others. Apart from the Copperbelt and Western Province, he served as Cabinet Minister in Eastern Province.