By Mulenga Banda, Lusaka
First memorial service has been held in honour of the Zambian Founding Father and President, Dr Kenneth Kaunda
The solemn occasion was attended by hundreds of people and watched live by countless others world wide via television and social media platforms.
In his tribute, President Hakainde Hichilema described Late President as a great champion of national independence and an icon of global peace.
“Fellow Zambians,
Today we took part in the solemn ceremony of the first memorial service of our Founding President and Father of the Nation, Dr Kenneth Buchizya Kaunda.
“Dr Kenneth Kaunda was a great champion of national independence, an icon of global peace and an architect of our shared self determination. He was a visionary, a freedom fighter, a true Statesman and a man of great history.
“At this moving occasion attended by hundreds of people and watched by countless others via Television and social platforms worldwide, we spoke of how his vision of the transformative power of Agriculture enhanced the food security of our country. How his proponency and belief in the power of education, yes free education, transformed our nation and the lives of millions of our people.
“We urged fellow citizens to take a leaf from Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s belief in honest hard work, his ethos of intergrity and discipline, and his great sense of love and respect for humanity, and passion for his country that surpassed his love for self and his family.
“We prodded the Kaunda family and all citizens to be passionate custodians of the Kenneth Kaunda history, a history enriched with his fight towards creating a just and fair society, a society where equity and fairness and the promotion of dignity, non exploitation and equal opportunities for all regardless of colour, tribe, religion and sex, defined who we were as citizens.
“President Kaunda’s love for humanity will forever ring out to the uttermost parts of the earth.
“May His Soul Rest In Peace”, President Hichilema concludes.
Hakainde Hichilema,
President of the Republic of Zambia.