Government did not neglect Maureen – Hichilema
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema says government will make all effort to assist the Mwanawasa family especially the children who are bereft of their parents.
And the President has refuted assertions by someone opposition political party leaders that government failed to care for the late former first lady Maureen Mwanawasa.
The President was speaking yesterday when he visited the house of mourning in Lusaka’s Roma Park.
President Hichilema said Maureen’s death is so numbing as it happened without warning.
“We offer our sincere condolences to the Mwanawasa and Kakubo families as you know every person comes from four families. We are sincerely saddened by the loss of Mrs Mwanawasa especially that it happened so sudden,” he said.
“When people endure or go through a long illness, we do accept that sooner or later they may …. But her illness deteriorated quickly and shocked a lot of us including myself.
About two months ago we had dinner together and she was jovial and nobody thought we would be attending her funeral today most unfortunately.”
President Hichilema described the late Maureen Mwanawasa as diligent and unfaltering.
“She worked for this country, for the family for the vulnerable …. All of us will miss her. There’s one mystery we can do great things in life.…one mystery about death we don’t know when any of our family members will go, but death is inevitable only God decides …,”he said.
“We must all work hard when we are called to serve the public. When we occupy public office directly or indirectly. All of us who serve in the public service directly or indirectly we must appreciate that we are servants of the people. We work for the people. Let’s work for the people and our interest will be taken care of afterwards.”
He said government never failed to tend to the former First Lady as it stopped at nothing to see to it that she attained medical care.
“Social media needs to be managed. We don’t want to send misinformation. Facts are facts, the government tried to do its best , the illness was discovered late and when it was discovered, government flew her in India. And the doctors advised on how we could proceed,” the President explained.
“The government did its best. There are other issues, the family is fully aware, it’s not for public consumption. Government and all of us as family members tried to do our best and we will continue to do our best.”
President Hichilema pledged that government will continue supporting the children and urged family members to foster harmony.
“We are committed to support the family in any way possible going forward, to alleviate the suffering especially that some of the children are young and sadly have lost both parents.
Their father left them and now their mother has left them. It is up to us who have remained to provide support,”said President Hichilema.
Maureen Mwanawasa a lawyer, was the widow of late president Levy Mwanawasa who died as a sitting president on August 19, 2008.
She died on August 13, 2024 at Maina Soko military hospital in Lusaka after a short illness.
The former first lady who is survived by four children, will be inhumed today at Leopards Hill memorial park after funeral rites.
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba August 19, 2024.