Maravi

Executive, judiciary not stood by Levy’s vision – Patrick

Executive, judiciary not stood by Levy’s vision – Patrick
By Kombe Chimpinde
Sat 21 Aug. 2010, 04:02 CAT

THE executive and the judiciary have not stood by what Levy Mwanawasa stood for, Patrick Mwanawasa has charged. In an interview with Post Online after his late father’s second memorial, Patrick observed that the main arm of the government had not fought and stood firm in the fight against corruption, which his father strongly believed in.

“You see in terms of the issue of corruption I cannot say it’s just not about one arm of the government. I think I would say that the executive and the judiciary have both not stood and fought for what the great man stood for,” Patrick said.

“I know we should allow for different people to take up leadership as this is part of any democratic dispensation. But what is unfortunate is that when Levy was around they those in the current government were the ones who were in agreement with him and what he stood for, but now they have gone in the opposite direction.“

Patrick said coincidentally, the Lusaka High Court’s decision to dismiss an application to register the London judgment which found former president Frederick Chiluba and others guilty of embezzling public funds came shortly before his father’s memorial, a man who relentlessly fought against corruption.

“We keep on using August 19 to bury bad news because if you remember even last year Dr Frederick Chiluba was acquitted on the eve of August 19 last year. The registration of the London judgment has been thrown out during the same period and we really don't understand the motive behind all this,” he said.

“It’s so unfortunate that what we Zambians were supposed to achieve when the big man was alive has been abandoned. But as a youth I'm still optimistic that things in future are going to change. What is more important is that the people of Zambia are inspired and more determined to make Zambia a better place and for me this will not start from our leaders but it must start from house to house.”

Patrick said he had not lost hope over what his father intended to achieve.

However, Patrick reminded Zambians that they ought to respect the incumbent President, Rupiah Banda, saying peace and unity were inevitable for democracy to survive.

And in her speech during the second memorial service for Mwanawasa, former first lady Maureen shared what he had recorded as his last message to the nation as part of his will.

In the statement recorded on March 23, 2005, Mwanawasa regretted that he had lost close friends because of his fight against corruption.

He explained that his campaign against corruption was not driven by malice but the desire to improve people’s lives.

“I believed that national development could only be sustained if good governance, respect for the rule of law and democracy were encouraged and not taken for granted. To spur these virtues, the fight against corruption had to be waged relentlessly and without treating anybody as a sacred cow,” Mwanawasa said.

“I regret that in my zeal to facilitate this fight, I lost friendship with a number of some of my best friends, and at many times my own life and that of my family members were threatened. I want to assure the nation that no malice or ill will was intended in these initiatives.”

He said his fight against corruption was purely driven by his love for the country and the urgent need to transform it from poverty to prosperity and that he had always been grieved to see so much poverty, hopelessness and anguish in the faces of the children.

Mwanawasa said, in the broadcast, “I do hope that the party, the Movement for Multiparty Democracy, can continue with this vision for our nation pursuing the fight of zero tolerance to corruption ... It is my desire that all future governments will continue to wage this fight. If in my endeavours to provide only the best for my country I offended some of my compatriots, all I can ask is that they should find a place in their hearts to forgive me as no deliberate intentions to harm their feelings without just cause was intended.”

Mwanawasa said he was grateful for the opportunity he was given to serve as Republican president, a privilege he cherished up to his death.

“To those who attended my funeral and to those who mourned with my family, I say I am extremely grateful to all of you. I am certain that I speak on behalf of my family that their burden had thereby been lightened.”

Mwanawasa died on August 19, 2008 at Percy Military Hospital in Paris, France where he had been evacuated after suffering a stroke while attending an African Union (AU) summit in Egypt.

Labels: LEVY MWANAWASA, PATRICK MWANAWASA

posted by MrK @ 5:39 PM