We have to pay attention more to the people at the bottom – HH
By Fanny Kalonda (The Mast)
IN a country we have to pay attention more to the people at the bottom, says President Hakainde Hichilema.
During the 10th memorial service for former president Michael Sata at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross yesterday, President Hichilema said those in power today have a lot to learn from those who were there before.
“We will continue working on the things that Mr Sata believed in. In line I believe with Mr Sata’s beliefs that in these roles they are not actually easy. People assume that they are easy. There is an assumption out there that what Mr Sata did, what we are doing is easy. It’s not easy. I’m now married to 20 million husbands. I’m their wife, please women don’t misunderstand my expression, frankly speaking it’s not a gender argument since I’m the servant. We, he (Sata) was the servant of the people. We are the servant of the people. It means we’re subservient in the right way to the people of Zambia collectively – all of them: 10 provinces, 116 districts, 156 constituencies. So I must say to you for me standing here I’m aware that whatever we are doing today in public office is because the road, the path, was kept for us,” he said. “Starting with KK, may soul rest in peace, FTJ (Frederick Chiluba) president [Levy] Mwanawasa, his soul rest in peace, president Rupiah Banda, may his soul rest in peace, and our fifth president, president Michael Chilufya Sata, obviously president [Edgar] Lungu, we who are serving today stand on the shoulders of these and the women and the cabinets. We stand on the shoulders of those that came before us and we appreciate that. We thank those that came before us.”
President Hichilema said Zambians have heard him preach the message of unity.
“I think Zambians hear me preach the message of unity – One Zambia One Nation. One nation, one people. There is no substitute to unity. No matter how clever we think we are children of God, made in his in his own image, love is a prerequisite to succeeding in whatever we do. I said to my colleagues in cabinet if you don’t love what you do for the people, don’t even try to work. I said it to [Secretary to Cabinet Patrick] Kangwa there, because it won’t work, so I think we agreed to president Sata’s message of love in diversity, unity in diversity, love, unity and diversity,” he said. “We have a lot to learn from Mr Sata all of us. But we also have a lot to do to get the country on the things you wanted done. If you notice presidents come, do quite a lot of things – each president. Mr. Sata understood local government, he spent years in local government. I believe that’s how Mr [Emmanuel] Chenda and others who became students of Mr Sata politically…”
He said there should not be any unnecessary divisive conversations.
“…so you can see the decisions he was making when he was in the presidency around decentralisation, councils, new districts. Many don’t remember, already people forget quickly, sometimes not all the times, I don’t want to be accused and someone in the media will carry a wrong story that HH said Zambians have no memories no, no, no, no. It is Mr Sata who created 29 districts in his short time in the presidency because he understood local government and its ability to help deliver. We who are in government today will carry on to realise full operations of those districts because that’s our duty. I know we have work to do around those districts. In a country, we have to pay attention more to the people at the bottom. Cash for work, social cash transfer, for the people at the bottom,” said President Hichilema. “So sometimes we come from different angles but actually seeking the same thing. It’s important for us to isolate that this is a… that is good for the country and we can work to make it better so we can make Mr. Sata happier…We must not create unnecessary divisive conversations when it’s really not necessary. Today it is to offer our memories of president Sata, to celebrate his life. I must thank the family for allowing the government, our government, to conduct or to support this service. We all have a story to tell about Mr Sata, because the family have a deeper knowledge of Mr Sata…”