Wina praises late Mudenda
Written by Masuzyo Chakwe
Wednesday, November 05, 2008 5:53:49 AM
VETERAN politician Sikota Wina has said it is very rare to find people of the late Elijah Mudenda's calibre in Zambia. And veteran politician Dingiswayo Banda has described the late Mudenda as a devoted and committed leader of the nation. Commenting on the death of Mudenda, 81, Wina said Mudenda was one of the true heroes of Zambia’s independence.
"At the time of the first elections in 1962, one of the biggest arguments of the Europeans in the country was that we had no educated people to run a modern state. So the central committee under the chairmanship of Dr Kenneth Kaunda decided to make a shortlist of graduates in the country who could be approached for them to join UNIP and participate in the first elections," he said. "Mr Elijah Mudenda was on the list and I was mandated by the central committee to go and make a presentation to him to leave the position he had as head of Mount Makulu Africa Research Station and he was the only African at that place."
Wina explained that it was an honour for him and he went to see Mudenda.
He said he [Wina] did not meet any resistance and Mudenda was very willing to participate in the liberation of the country.
"He resigned indefinitely and came to join UNIP. We had a workshop where we drafted the first UNIP manifesto at Lilanda in Lusaka and Mr Mudenda contributed very heavily in the field of agriculture. He was the father of Zambia's agriculture policies. At independence, he became the first minister of agriculture," he said.
Wina said he had memories of people like Mudenda.
"It is a pity he has left us because people of his calibre were very rare in this country. People who were prepared to sacrifice all they had for the sake of the country. He shall be mourned by all of us who were there with him," said Wina.
And Banda said Mudenda was one of the few graduates the country had at independence.
He said Mudenda contributed volumes to the independence of the country.
"Everyone must mourn this great man. He was one of the founders of this nation, extremely devoted and committed leader of the nation," said Banda.
Mudenda passed away in the late afternoon of Sunday after being hospitalised for close to three weeks at Mina Care Clinic in Roma.
Mudenda would be put to rest tomorrow at his farm in Lusaka's New Kasama residential area.
The government has since declared Thursday a day of national mourning in honour of the late Mudenda.
Labels: ELIJAH MUDENDA, FREEDOM FIGHTERS, SIKOTA WINA
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Elijah Mudenda dies
Written by Masuzyo Chakwe
Tuesday, November 04, 2008 4:28:40 PM
VETERAN politician Grey Zulu yesterday said he has lost a friend and brother in the late freedom fighter Elijah Mudenda. Speaking after he visited the funeral house in New Kasama, Zulu said Mudenda, who died on Sunday, was a great man, true parent and brother of all Zambians. "He loved them [Zambians] and he served his country honestly and loyally. He was a great man, an honest man, once he tells you something that he will help, you can count on him," he said.
Zulu said Mudenda, 81, was one of the great pillars who helped to liberate and build the nation. "It is a pity that we all die in the end, if it were possible to save someone for some time, Mudenda was the right person to live a longer time so that he could serve the people longer. But we have no control over that, the Almighty God knows what is best for each and every one of us. I personally can say that I have lost a friend and a brother with whom we shared all problems," he said.
Zulu said he and Mudenda on several occasions toured the country together.
"He was a minister of agriculture and as a minister of defence, we worked together as a prime minister, he was a great person, a loving person," said Zulu.
And family spokesperson Daniel Munkombwe said Mudenda died in the late afternoon of Sunday.
Munkombwe, who is also Southern Province minister, explained that Mudenda had been in hospital for close to three weeks at Mina Care Clinic in Roma.
He said burial was likely to take place on Thursday at his farm in Lusaka. Munkombwe described the late Mudenda as a great man having been everything in life and the first black agriculture minister. Munkombwe said Mudenda was a role model both in public and private life. And the Cuban Embassy described the late Mudenda as a man who committed himself to the cause of the people.
"The Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in Zambia on behalf of its staff and the Cuban people, wants to express its deepest sorrow and heartfelt condolences for the death of the comrade Elijah Haatukali Kaiba Mudenda," Cuban Charge d' Affairs Turcios Miguel Esquivel Lopez said. Lopez said the Cuban Embassy had a lot of respect for Mudenda as a freedom fighter and as a person.
"For his struggle on the defence on his ideas, as an example of a human being he committed himself with the cause of his people. He had the pleasure to serve his country holding various portfolios, at the Parliament, in government and in UNIP. Everywhere we went we could appreciate how Zambian people loved him, admired him and respected him," Lopez said, "As Cubans, we always counted on him. He clearly understood our struggle and expressed publicly his support for the Cuban Revolution. This is the reason why we feel so proud of having him as the Patron of the Zambia-Cuba Friendship Association for several years."
Lopez said even when they knew that his health was not well, he attended all the activities in solidarity with Cuba organized by the Association, The Post, and some friends of Cuba, as an example that he was a man of a very strong will. He said he was sure that the Zambian people would remember him as one of its greatest heroes.
"Today, on this painful moment, we extend to his wife and other relatives, and the Zambian people our heartfelt condolences," said Lopez. And mines minister Dr Kalombo Mwansa said this was a sad loss. Dr Mwansa said during the struggle for independence, Mudenda broke the myth that most people in the struggle were not professionals.
"Despite what the civil service could have given him had he chosen to work as a civil servant, he decided to join the freedom struggle. We will miss his humility despite the highest level he reached in politics, the education he had, he still remained humble, accommodating and broad minded person," he said.
Dr Mwansa said Mudenda was an example of what it meant to serve humanity with humility. Mudenda is survived by a wife, four children - Jene, Nana, Chilumbi and Tozana Mvula - and several grandchildren.
Labels: ELIJAH MUDENDA, FREEDOM FIGHTERS, GREY ZULU
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