Mwale was a pillar to development – Sata

Mwale was a pillar to development – Sata
By Chibaula Silwamba
Mon 12 Apr. 2010, 04:01 CAT

PF leader Michael Sata visiting former works and supply minister Haswell Mwale with Kanchibiya member of parliament Davies Mwango (r) on March 20, 2010 at UTH where he was admitted - Picture by Thomas Nsama

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday said the late former works and supply minister Haswell Mwale, who will be buried today, was a pillar to Zambia's infrastructure development.

In his farewell message to Mwale, who served as works and supply minister in Dr Kenneth Kaunda government, Sata said the late minister was incomparable to his successors because he led an upright lifestyle of service to Zambians.

“The man we are seeing off tomorrow today is one of the greatest Zambians many people did not know. All the civil engineering infrastructure which made Kaunda a name and UNIP, they were all in the hands and supervision of Haswell Yobe Mwale. The man had very sober academic qualifications; he was a man of few words in Parliament but he was a ball of fire. All the years I was in Parliament, there is no any other Minister of Works and Supply I can compare Haswell Mwale to,” said Sata.

He said Mwale was an honest minister and dedicatedly performed his public duties.

“Haswell Mwale did not wait for people to complain that this and that road is impassable. Now there are very few people like him remaining in this part of the world,” said Sata.

“He was a real pillar to KK's government; he was a pillar to the Zambians; he was a pillar to the donor community because he never diverted even K1,000 of the donors' money for civil engineering infrastructure.”

Mwale, who died on Thursday and be put to rest in Lusaka today, has been accorded a state funeral.

The government has declared today a day of national mourning and all flags will fly at half mast in honour of fallen hero.