and European led. However, Kaunda also emphasised that it was his understanding of the Bible's teachings that led him to conclude that colonialism "was immoral because it denied Africans their God-given dignity". Though the church was the seedbed for much of the nationalism that brought about independence in Zambia, Phiri notes that the freedoms that nationalism wrought were to allow other secular civil society associations to ease the church aside as the main source of opposition to colonial rule. With Kaunda's declarations of faith and independence the church retracted from the political sphere, merely lending support to the government policies when necessary. Phiri maintains that this demonstrates the reverse of the phenomenon that Bayart observed in Cameroon in which "churches often replace the manifestly political institutions in certain of their functions. When civil society is repressed by a predatory state, a vacuum occurs in the political system." Phiri indicates that the relative freedoms of political association and the improved public spending initiatives of the early years of UNIP rule caused the Church to return to a more traditional pastoral role. Others, such as Gifford, suggest that Bayart's observations are too generalised and were specific in geographical and chronological reference only to Cameroon at the time Bayart made them. Therefore, it is difficult to translate these interpretations either to newly independent Zambia or even to the present day circumstances. In 1972 the political freedoms declined markedly and this was rapidly followed by economic volatility as well. In response to, Simon Kapwepwe, the former Vice-President's attempt to form an alternative political party to UNIP Kaunda's government declared Zambia a one party state. The following year Zimbabwe closed its borders to "all Zambian exports, except copper, which adversely affected the economy". Exports were diverted through Tanzania and Angola, but in 1974 the outbreak of civil war in Angola was to have a further impact on the Zambian economy. At this time the price of copper, accounting for 95% of Zambia's export earnings, began to fall dramatically. By 1976 Kaunda was forced to declare a state of emergency and the dramatic dip in revenue caused the UNIP government to borrow heavily, significantly increasing Zambia's external debt. The worsening economic situation and increasing debt led the IMF to intervene in the 1980s to shore up the economy and impose Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) on Zambia. Kaunda only survived politically with the return and reconciliation with