Maravi

Rupiah weeps for Levy

Rupiah weeps for Levy
By Mwala Kalaluka, Kelvin Tembo and Chibaula Silwamba
Thursday July 03, 2008 [04:00]

VICE-President Rupiah Banda yesterday broke down during a special session held to pray for President Levy Mwanawasa at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. And Vice-President Banda said President Mwanawasa was receiving treatment for hypertension in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Percy Clamart Military Hospital in Paris, France.
During the prayer service, Vice-President Banda, who was seated in the front pew, broke down with defence minister George Mpombo as the praise team sung songs in praise of God.

Vice-President Banda continued wiping his eyes with a white handkerchief for most part of the service, which was also attended by former president Frederick Chiluba, Cabinet ministers and some opposition political party leaders.

Most of the congregants sung along with the praise team, as others raised their hands in prayer, while some wore gloomy faces.
The Cathedral was filled to capacity and some people, who included the MMD choir, opted to follow the proceedings from outside the church.

Before the delivery of the homily by Bread of Life Church Overseer Bishop Joe Imakando, Northmead Assemblies of God bishop Joshua Banda led the congregation in an intercession.

And addressing the congregation, Vice-President Banda said the government was comforted by the great outpouring of love exhibited by all sections of society to President Mwanawasa over his illness.
"May I take this opportunity to thank the Christian church in the country for making it possible for all of us to be together to ask our Lord to help us by healing our President," Vice-President Banda said with a cracking voice. "Our President left the country for Egypt to attend the meeting of the African Union (AU), where he suffered a stroke."
He said based on the recommendations of the government and the advice of the doctors in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm-El-Sheik, who attended to President Mwanawasa, he was evacuated to Paris for further specialist treatment.

"The President arrived in France around 03:00 hours this morning and as far as we are concerned, his condition is stable," Vice-President Banda said. "Doctors are yet to communicate to us the latest position."
He called on Zambians to continue with the spirit of love towards each other.

"I believe that God will hear our prayers," Vice-President Banda said as he left the altar for his seat.
Bishop Imakando said bad as the news about President Mwanawasa was to Zambians, God would intervene because the nation still needed him.

"There are times when we come face-to-face with life-threatening moments," bishop Imakando said. "This is the time when fear grips us and the devil whispers in our ears that it is over. As a nation, we have also received bad news that our beloved President has suffered a stroke; a life-threatening situation... this is not final and we have come here to appeal to God."

And Vice-President Banda later in statement indicated that President Mwanawasa arrived at Percy Military Hospital around 02:50 hours yesterday aboard an air ambulance.

"His Excellency Dr Levy P. Mwanawasa, President of the Republic of Zambia, was evacuated from Sharm-El-Sheikh Hospital in Egypt to Percy Military Hospital in Paris, France. Dr Mwanawasa arrived at 02:50 hours today Wednesday 2nd July, 2008 aboard an SOS International Air Ambulance accompanied by two physicians, his personal physician and an air ambulance physician," Vice-President Banda stated. "The President's condition has remained stable. He is receiving treatment for hypertension in the Intensive Care Unit."
He stated that first lady, Maureen and family members were at President Mwanawasa's bedside.

"The nation shall be kept informed on his condition regularly," said Vice-President Banda.

And according to the Associated Press (AP), Sharm-El-Sheik International Hospital head Saeed Abdel Fattah Essa said President Mwanawasa was in a semi-coma but still alive when evacuated to Paris.

According to the AP, Esaa said the Zambian President had a brain haemorrhage, which Egyptian doctors managed to stop.
Esaa was quoted as having said that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak visited President Mwanawasa at the hospital before he was flown to Paris at 19:00 on Tuesday.

When contacted for comment over the AP report on President Mwanawasa's condition as stated by Esaa, special assistant to the President for press and public relations John Musukuma said that was not the correct position.

"That is not the position. What we will give is what is coming from the experts on the spot," said Musukuma in Lusaka.
And Dr Kenneth Kaunda said he learnt of President Mwanawasa's illness with a deep sense of grief.

Dr Kaunda, who is currently attending an HIV/AIDS conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands, said President Mwanawasa is an impeccable leader in the country and Africa as a whole.

"President Mwanawasa has been advocating for the essential tenets for good governance and had therefore provided impeccable leadership in the country and Africa as a whole," he said. "I have learnt, with a deep sense of grief, of the illness of our head of state while on official duties at Sharm-El-Sheik in Egypt where he was attending the 11th Ordinary Session of the African Union."

Dr Kaunda said President Mwanawasa is a relentless advocate for the universal observance of human rights, rule of law and has been committed to campaigning against graft and corruption.
He wished President Mwanawasa a quick recovery and prayed for the family to be strengthened.

"I wish on behalf of my family and indeed my own behalf to convey to our first lady madam Maureen Mwanawasa and the entire family our best wishes for the speedy and full recovery, we pray that the Lord God Almighty will grant the family strength and courage during this difficult period, we will remain in constant prayers for his safe return home," Dr Kaunda said.

And former information minister Vernon Mwaanga urged people to remain hopeful that God would restore President Mwanawasa's health so that he could return home energised.

"President Levy Mwanawasa's illness is a matter of great concern. As the nation goes through this anxious moment, it's important that all responsible citizens should unite in prayer for our President's speedy and complete recovery," Mwaanga said. "We must remain hopeful that the Lord our Creator will restore our President's health so that he returns home energized to continue pursuing his vision for the future of our great country."

Mwaanga said history would judge the greatness of Zambians in the way they will unite during this time of setback and adversity.
The Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) stated that the party was prayerful and hopeful that God would heal President Mwanawasa.
MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba stated that the party was particularly concerned over his illness following a more than usual hectic national and international programme of work.

"We want to assure our party members to remain calm and pray faithfully to our Almighty God to heal our President and bring him back to Zambia for him to continue the agenda of national reconstruction and reconciliation," Kalumba stated. We resist the forces of evil and division which would want to capitalise on the illness of our party President."

Kalumba stated that the solidarity President Mwanawasa had received on his illness signified that he had touched the lives of many people in Zambia and the whole world as a statesman.

The Human Rights Commission stated that it was concerned that President Mwanawasa fell ill at a time when the nation and Africa desperately needed his services to move the continent forward.
"President Mwanawasa is doing a commendable job as President of Zambia and chairperson of SADC.

The Commission regards the President as a tireless warrior of the human rights cause and would like to see his work continue," Commission chairperson Pixie Yangailo stated. "Zambia, southern Africa and the entire continent of Africa have numerous socioeconomic issues to grapple with including the need to uphold people's human rights. President Mwanawasa has demonstrated tenacity in fighting such evils as human rights abuse, corruption and HIV/AIDS. The Commission stands together with all those who are praying for the quick recovery of the President and wish him excellent health."

Islamic Council of Zambia spokesperson Sheik Shaban Phiri stated that the entire Muslim community in Zambia was engaged in prayers for President Mwanawasa's quick recovery.
"May the Almighty God grant him quick recovery and good health," stated Phiri.

The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) said they were confident that medical experts attending to President Mwanawasa, who is also FAZ patron, were doing everything possible to swiftly get him back to good health.

"Not only is the President a pillar of the nation and a man in whom we all look up to in our quest to further advance our various development goal, he has been very supportive to football," association vice-president Emmanuel Munaile said.

He expressed the association's message of goodwill, prayer and solidarity to President Mwanawasa and his family.
The Zambia Centre for Inter-Party Dialogue (ZCID) also stated that the rest of the world was praying for President Mwanawasa's quick recovery.

"We pray that President Mwanawasa's agenda of reconciliation both in Zambia and the SADC region will continue upon his recovery," ZCID spokesperson Langton Sichone stated.

The Mwata Kazembe of the Lunda people of Luapula Province, speaking through Mutomboko organising committee member Christopher Mumba, wished President Mwanawasa a quick recovery so that he could be part of this year's Mutomboko traditional ceremony in Mwansabombwe.

The Zambia Association of Former Public Service Chief Executives chairperson Dr Kabeta Muleya expressed sadness over President Mwanawasa's illness saying they hoped God would heal him.
And former Council of Churches in Zambia general secretary Reverend Japhet Ndhlovu also prayed for President Mwanawasa's quick recovery.

Dr Ndhlovu, who is based in Kenya at the All Africa Conference of Churches, prayed that God would be gracious to President Mwanawasa and grant him mercy to enable him get back to his feet and serve the nation.

"Only someone facing or sharing a serious sickness, pain or tragedy knows how hard it is. They know how hard it is to cope with the fear and uncertainty. They know how absurd it sounds when someone first tells them to 'keep a positive attitude'.

They know how terrifying it is when the doubt comes. They know how hard it is to throw a mountain into the sea," prayed Dr Ndhlovu. "But remember what Jesus told us in Matthew 17:19-20 when he said 'I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

"Faith as small as a mustard seed sounds a little like hope to me, and that's a good start. May we the people of Zambia express our faith in this time of need for our country."

Labels: MWANAWASA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 3:16 AM