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Independence should remind Zambians of need for peace - KK

Independence should remind Zambians of need for peace - KK
By Salim Dawood, Agness Changala and Fridah Zinyama
Sun 24 Oct. 2010, 10:10 CAT

DR Kenneth Kaunda has said Independence Day should remind Zambians of the need for peace and tolerance. And former freedom fighter Lottie Chellah has charged that most Zambians have not enjoyed the fruits of independence because poverty is still raging in the country.

Speaking when he graced a Zain Zambia staff pre-independence party at the company head offices on Friday, Dr Kaunda said without the “One Zambia One Nation” slogan, Zambians would have been divided.

“On this happy occasion, let me reiterate the need for peace in our country, the need for tolerance and understanding for each other, the need to work together in the interest of peace, harmony and development in our country,” he said.

Dr Kaunda said he was glad to be present at the event where one of the biggest telecommunications company, Zain, was commemorating the country’s independence. He said as an old freedom fighter, he noted with appreciation that Zain Zambia had designated that Friday to remember a piece of history whose period was characterised by intensive political activism against colonialism in the country.

“Our independence day, 24th October is also United Nations Day, not by coincidence but by deliberate choice of the founding fathers of our nation who in their wisdom believed that decision would in turn signal our belief and faith in the principles and purposes of the United Nations. Indeed, since independence we have remained an active member of the UN,” he said.

Dr Kaunda thanked Zain Zambia for commemorating the country’s independence in a special way because October was a month when the country remembered its fallen heroes who sacrificed their blood and lives for the sake of freedom.

Dr Kaunda also commended Zain Zambia for commitment in supporting the country’s traditional ceremonies noting that was the company’s contribution to the efforts in preserving the country’s culture, customs and tradition. He appealed to Zain Zambia to extend its support to the Kenneth Kaunda of African Children which provides education for orphans and vulnerable children.

Meanwhile, Dr Kaunda told Zain Zambia staff that in this day and age, telecommunications was a vital service for the human interaction. He urged the company’s customer service to ensure that that customer’s needs were take care of for no business could exist without satisfied customers in this highly competitive market

Following his address, Dr Kaunda was presented with a Blackberry phone as a present from the company before touring the Zain Zambia customer call center where employees took turns in being photographed with him.

And in his Independence Day celebration message to the nation, Chellah - who is former commissioner for Public Service Commission - observed that despite the country attaining independence, people’s living standards left much to be desired.

He urged the government to sit down and reflect on the how to improve the lives of the majority Zambians. Chellah said independence anniversary was a time for those in the government to sit down, reflect and examine the failures and begin to think of on how to remedy them.

And Zambians for Empowerment and Development (ZED) president Dr Fred Mutesa said it was disheartening that Zambians had lost the national motto of “One Zambia, One Nation” which had helped to unite the country. Dr Mutesa said Zambia had become a world of two extremes, the very rich and the very poor.
“It is a country of the rich who can flout the laws of the land and get away with it and of the poor who are oppressed and have no one to represent them,” he said.

Dr Mutesa said Zambia should not have very poor people as the country has all the resources to allow every Zambian to live a decent and dignified life.
And Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) executive director Patrick Mucheleka said it was unfortunate that poverty levels had continued being high in the country even after 46 years of independence.

Mucheleka said poverty levels in the country were still too high in both rural and urban areas.

Labels: INDEPENDENCE, KENNETH KAUNDA, LOTTIE CHELLAH

posted by MrK @ 2:48 PM