🇿🇲 HONOURING OUR HEROES WITH DIGNITY AND UNITY 🇿🇲
Fellow Zambians,
I have taken note of the concerns being raised regarding the renaming of the toll gate, and I believe this moment calls for calm reflection, not division.
Let us begin with a simple truth: both Godfrey Ucar Chitalu and Anderson Mazoka are national icons in their own right.
Godfrey Ucar Chitalu is a towering figure in our sporting history, a man whose talent, discipline, and patriotism united the nation through football. His legacy is immortal and continues to inspire generations.
Anderson Mazoka, on the other hand, played a profound role in shaping Zambia’s democratic journey. His courage, leadership, and commitment to pluralism earned him national respect, and rightly so, he was accorded an official state funeral an honour reserved for those who make exceptional contributions to the Republic. He built a national character political party that has eventually formed government.
These are not competing legacies, they are complementary pillars of our national story.
We must resist the temptation to reduce national recognition into a contest of “who matters more.” Zambia is bigger than that. Our heroes come from many fields sports, politics, academia, business, and beyond.
Are we to say that only football defines our greatness? What of distinguished Zambians like Baroness Dambisa Moyo and many others who have elevated our country on the global stage? What of those who fought for democracy, built institutions, and strengthened our national identity?
A mature nation does not erase one hero to honour another, it finds space to celebrate all.
If anything, this moment should inspire us to:
* Expand our national memory
* Build more infrastructure that reflects our diverse heroes
* Honour excellence in all its forms
Let us speak to each other with respect. Let us disagree without descending into insults. And above all, let us remember that nation-building requires unity of purpose, not division of sentiment.
Zambia belongs to all of us and so do her heroes.
🇿🇲 One Nation. Many Legacies. One Future. 🇿🇲
Saviour Chishimba
PRESIDENT, UPP