Veteran activist on 2 continents, dead at 62

His name is synonymous with rebellion, but tonight Odinga Lumumba, the man who led the civil unrest against the 1981 Heads of Agreement, is dead. Lumumba, born Wilhelm Buller in Dangriga in 1942, suffered a stroke several weeks ago and died Saturday at the K.H.M.H. He was a political activist, both in Belize and his adopted country, Ghana. During two long periods of residence in that African nation Lumumba became a supporter and confidante of President Jerry Rawlings. When Rawlings was voted out of power in 2001 Lumumba was imprisoned by the new government and was not released until his deportation back to Belize in January of 2003. The harsh conditions of jail obviously took their toll on Lumumba’s health and while he was visible during recent anti-government protests, his role was one of support, not leadership. In 1981, however, Lumumba was clearly in charge as crowds under his control shut down schools and businesses and eventually forced Governor James Hennessey to declare a state of emergency and the government of Premier George Price to abandon the widely criticized draft agreement with Guatemala. While television was not around to record the uprising against the Heads, we did catch up with Lumumba seven years later when he was interviewed on the show Belize All Over. He explained the motives behind his activism.

Odinga Lumumba, 1942-2005
?I did it for my country. Now the politicians, they may have other motives and they thought they were using me, but deep down with me I know what I was doing and I know that no politicians were controlling my movement.?

?When I spoke to the people of Belize during that time, I spoke of nationalism, I spoke about our rights, the fact that this agreement came into being without any form of consulting the Belizean people. So I think that the politicians have got to start to educate us towards nationalism so that we begin to develop a sense of pride in our country so that we can defend what is ours. Belize belongs to Belizeans?as I said, I see the problem is the United Kingdom and the United States of America who is benefiting most from this instability in the minds of Belizean people.?

Odinga Lumumba was buried on Sunday at the Islamic cemetery on the Coastal Road. He had no close relatives living in Belize. It is believed that at some point he married a woman in England and fathered two children.