By Godfrey Chitalu
SINCE I write what I like, my humble view is that our country will never have any other “Father of the Nation” apart from our late revered founder: Kenneth David Buchizya Kaunda.
We all know that despite pretensions here and there, only one person befits this honorific title. It is an oral route that has not even been constitutionally consummated. If we wanted post fatherhood fathers, we missed an opportunity to constitutionally codify this needless paternalism.
Apart from KK who we all knew as the “Father of the Nation” none of our other deceased presidents – Frederick Chiluba, Levy Mwanawasa, Michael Sata and now Rupiah Banda (MHSRIP) would have condoned this patriarchal behavior. Do we want to posthumously bestow them titles they never carved and craved?
For us who were older enough in the first republic, at least we remember the unanimity in calling KK “Father of the Nation” What has changed now to start assuming that there are other fathers of the nation? As we remain with the last two in the leadership hierarchy – Edgar Lungu and Hakainde Hichilema, let us spare them sly innuendos by letting bygones be bygones.
Can any of our present leaders claim any post-colonial roles in our independence? The short answer is no! None I contend is even interested in this storm in a teacup. This recognition jamboree on behalf of uninterested parties is a discomforting cul-de-sac going nowhere.
It is enough to rule a country and be recognized as such! The led should not be at the forefront of stirring an unnecessary discourse on who qualifies to be the “Father of the Nation”
To say this debate is futile is an understatement. We know that there will never be any official recognition of this hollow-sounding title in the foreseeable future. Like the founding father of Greek Philosophy was hugely pessimistic about democracy, I don’t find any merits in an entire nation debating founding fathers!
By the way, I also don’t like the debate about how to pronounce the word “demise” – we learn through mistakes kaili but don’t blame the journalists!
The author is a social commentator who writes for pleasure.
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