Maravi

Levy was very frank and honest, says Mugabe

Levy was very frank and honest, says Mugabe
By Mwala Kalaluka and Chibaula Silwamba
Wednesday September 03, 2008 [04:00]

ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe yesterday described late President Levy Mwanawasa as a great man who was always very frank in expressing his honest views. According to the message he wrote in the book of condolence at State House, President Mugabe stated that President Mwanawasa's work was not only aimed at the development of Zambia but the whole region.

"I bring to the people of Zambia and family of President Mwanawasa, now the deceased, the sympathies and condolences of the brothers and sisterly people of Zimbabwe over the very sad loss of a great man whose work was aimed not only at the development of Zambia but our region as a whole," President Mugabe wrote. "We shall all certainly miss this great colleague who was always very frank in expressing his honest views. May God rest him in eternal peace."

President Mugabe arrived at State House around 17:40 hours and was ushered to the waiting room as he waited for other dignitaries to sign the book of condolence.
After a few minutes, he was led to the table where he signed the book and later proceeded to view the late President's body, where he briefly bowed in prayer.
Later, he proceeded to pass personal condolences to first lady Maureen in another room where he knelt down as he greeted her.

The two held a private meeting briefly before President Mugabe emerged and was driven off in his Mercedes Benz car.

When earlier President Mugabe arrived at Lusaka International Airport around 17:00 hours aboard Air Zimbabwe Boeing 737, he seemingly appeared keen to talk to journalists.

However, both Zambian and Zimbabwean security personnel created a barricade between the journalists and President Mugabe's entourage, thus preventing them from asking questions and quickly led him to his vehicle.
Some journalists who attempted to rush to his vehicle to ask questions were manhandled by police.

Earlier on arrival, Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika said the death of President Mwanawasa was a loss to him because he and the late Zambian leader had a lot in common.

President Wa Mutharika said the late President was his good friend and that his death was a loss to Zambia and Malawi.
President Wa Mutharika said he could not explain how he felt when he heard that President Mwanawasa had died because he hoped that he would pull through.

"President Mwanawasa was a very good friend of mine. We worked together in many fora in the United Nations, AU African Union and SADC Southern African Development Community region but also on a bilateral basis. He is a man who championed unity, cooperation and friendliness. During his time, Malawi and Zambia moved closer together as some of you know on some of the programmes we started together," President Wa Mutharika said. "And so naturally his departure is a loss to all of us. I cannot express myself sufficiently how I felt when I learnt that he had passed away. All along we had hoped that somehow he would pull through. So it is a loss to all of us and so may his soul rest in peace."

And later in his message of condolences at State House, President Wa Mutharika stated that President Mwanawasa was a great leader who struggled for unity, peace and friendship in Zambia, SADC and Africa.
President Wa Mutharika stated that President Mwanawasa's death was a great loss.

President Wa Mutharika stated that President Mwanawasa would be greatly missed by all.

And Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said President Mwanawasa had lived his legacy.

President Kikwete, who is also African Union chairperson, said President Mwanawasa was a visionary leader who served his people, the region and the continent very well.

"Well, he lived his life and his death is a big loss to all of us. He lived his legacy. President Mwanawasa was one of the highly respected leaders," President Kikwete said.

Former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa said President Mwanawasa was a great democrat and an advocate of a people-centred and non-discriminatory development strategy. Mkapa said he was deeply saddened by the passing of such a respected leader.

"We are all very deeply saddened because we respected him, we loved him as a leader of a sister Republic, Tanzania, and for me personally because for close to five years of office I served with him as a fellow president for a SADC nation and on the African scene," Mkapa said. "He was a great democrat and an advocate of a people-centred development. He was a man of deep faith and so all we can do is to pray to the Almighty so that he can find a place of joy and happiness in His kingdom, his labour having been completed."

Mkapa said other leaders in Africa had a lesson to learn from President Mwanawasa's leadership style.

"A life of great patriotism and pan-Africanism and a life of service to one's people, turning to development that targets the people, a life of honesty, integrity and service without discrimination. His love of all the citizenry has been unprecedented," said Mkapa.

Later in his message of condolences before viewing President Mwanawasa's body at State House, Mkapa described President Levy Mwanawasa as a great leader whose influence on the AU was outstanding.
Mkapa, who was accompanied by his wife Anna, stated that President Mwanawasa was an inspiring and very able head of state.

"He the late President led his people sturdily and faithfully with his vision of political stability, unity and economic prosperity for all citizens. His influence on the African Union stage was outstanding as an unwavering advocate of democratic good governance," he stated.

Mkapa stated that President Mwanawasa's counsel would be deeply missed.
"His earthly labours are done. We pray that Almighty God reward him with a long rest in everlasting joy and peace in His heavenly presence," Mkapa stated.
And Botswana President Lieutenant General Ian Seretse Khama, on arrival at the airport, said he personally felt that he had lost a very close friend whom he could have collaborated and cooperated with.

President Khama said President Mwanawasa had made tremendous contributions in furthering the objectives and cause of Zambians, especially in democracy and economic recovery, and more recent in his role as SADC chairman.
"When I came into office in April this year, I didn't have time to sit down with him," he said.

However, President Khama said during the opportunity they had to meet and discuss, he discovered that he had a lot in common with President Mwanawasa. Uganda's Vice-President Gilbert Bukenya described the late President as a new breed of revolutionary leaders in Africa and urged people to follow in his footsteps.
Speaking on arrival aboard a Kenya Airways flight, Vice-President Bukenya said President Mwanawasa was an articulate and knowledgeable leader who had a vision for Africa.

"You know, the late President Mwanawasa was a great leader in Africa; one of the new revolutionaries for changing Africa, economically, self-reliance and so on. So we have really lost a great son of Africa and that is why I have come to pay homage to this great man," Vice-President Bukenya said. "I have been with him in many meetings, in Uganda and elsewhere and you can see when he is making an argument on a point, he will articulate it, there is knowledge in it and there is understanding and vision for Africa. So we must continue, there is no other way."
He said President Mwanawasa's great contribution towards the restoration of peace in the Great Lakes Region should also continue.

"We must continue; he left a very big step forward in the Great Lakes Region. We must continue. In East Africa we say, 'we must follow in the footsteps of a great leader. We should not go backwards'," urged Vice-President Bukenya.
Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki on arrival described President Mwanawasa as a progressive man whom Kenyans liked.

And later President Kibaki, who was with his wife Lucy, also signed the book of condolence at State House before viewing the President's body.
President Kibaki wished Zambians well and prayed that God would receive and rest him in joy.

"He will rest in peace and God's love will be his guide," stated President Kibaki.
Mozambican President Armando Guebuza on arrival said Zambia, SADC and Africa had lost a great leader in President Mwanawasa.
He said President Mwanawasa's death would have a negative impact on the continent.

Later, President Guebuza in his message of condolences stated that his people were greatly aggrieved by the passing away of President Mwanawasa.
He stated that President Mwanawasa's untimely departure was not only a loss to Zambians but also to his family, Mozambique and SADC.

Chinese foreign affairs minister Yang Jieshi, who is representing President Hu Jintao, said despite the death of President Mwanawasa, his country and Zambia should work harder to further promote the great relationship between the two countries. Yang said President Mwanawasa was a great friend of China.
"This time I have come as a special envoy of President Hu Jintao to participate in the memorial service and I am here to express the deep condolences of the Chinese government and people.

“We feel very sad that the President passed away; he was a very good friend of China and he did a lot to promote China-Zambia friendship and cooperation," said Yang on arrival. "There is profound friendship between China and Zambia. We think that we should work even harder to promote this great relationship between our two nations and our two peoples." Yang said the late President was an outstanding leader of Zambia and contributed a lot to the social, economic and political development of the country.

Asked to comment on the implications of President Mwanawasa's death on the SADC region, Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili said President Mwanawasa had gone as a hero and should therefore be honoured as one. "The late President Mwanawasa was a very good leader and a very good President for Zambia. Not only for Zambia but for SADC as well, whose chairmanship he just vacated. You will recall that Lesotho, in my person, had the privilege of handing over the baton of the chairmanship of SADC to President Mwanawasa himself," Prime Minister Mosisili said. "So indeed his passing on is a loss not only to his family, not only to the people of Zambia, not only to the government but to the entire community in SADC.

That is what we are here to do, to help you cross this valley of death through which Zambia and Zambians are in." Prime Minister Mosisili said the people of Lesotho were ready to stand with their Zambian brothers and sisters through this difficult phase. And United Nations resident coordinator in Kenya Aeneas Chuma said history would be kind to President Mwanawasa for the positive contributions he made to the southern Africa region. On arrival at Lusaka International Airport, Chuma, who once worked in Zambia as UN resident co-ordinator, said President Mwanawasa's death was an occasion to mourn the passing of one of the most principled and visionary members of the new generation of post-independence Africa.

"I think history will be kind to President Mwanawasa for the positive contributions that he brought not only to Zambia but the region as well," he said. "We are sad at his passing, but above all we must celebrate his considerable contributions in the short period of time. We must consolidate and continue what President Mwanawasa did. I came here because I had the privilege to serve under his leadership, even though I was a representative of an inter-governmental organization such as the United Nations."

Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO) director general Jacques Diouf said on arrival for the State Funeral that President Mwanawasa had a passion for the development of the agricultural sector in Zambia and beyond. "He always stood by his principles," Diouf said, in the company of FAO country representative Nouredin Mona. "He was well respected for his governance of the country...He was a true African leader." And special envoy of the federal president of Germany Marttias Mulmeustadt described President Mwanawasa as a courageous fighter for democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Swaziland Constance Simelane wished first lady Maureen Mwanawasa and the first family God's blessings.

"We can only pray that God in his greatness will bind the wounds of the first lady and the first family as well as the people of Zambia," Prime Minister Simelane stated. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila also signed the book of condolence, saying Zambians had lost a great son and that Africa had lost a leader. President Khama expressed his greatest sympathy to the family and the Zambian people while Prime Minister Mosisili also expressed his condolences on behalf of the people of his country. Other dignitaries who viewed the body of late President Mwanawasa at State House include Vice-President Prof Bukenya, Sudan's minister of regional co-operation representing President Salva Kiir Mayar, Benjamin Marial, Chinese foreign affairs minister Yang Jieshi, the Duke of Gloucester His Royal Highness Richard Alexander Walter John and several ambassadors accredited to African and European countries. Several dignitaries from various countries, Zambian ambassadors to various countries, MMD cadres and State House employees all paid their last respects to President Mwanawasa.

Labels: MUGABE, MWANAWASA

posted by MrK @ 5:16 AM