BY HARRIET CHIKANDIWA
Members of Parliament moved a motion to convey a condolence message to the late Zambian President Kenneth David Buchizya Kaunda’s family, hailing him for playing a pivotal role in the independence of Zimbabwe.
Kaunda died last month while admitted at the Maina Soko Military Hospital in Lusaka and was buried yesterday.
“Kaunda’s administration was instrumental in serving as the role of the mediator between entrenched white minority and colonial government and various guerrilla movements which were aimed at overthrowing those respective administrations,” Norton legislator Themba Mliswa (Independent) said.
He said Kaunda was instrumental in implementing a wide range of economic policies to enhance Zambia’s productivity and mineral resource sustainability.
“Kaunda oversaw the acquisition of majority stakes in key foreign-owned companies. He also made them nationalised.
“Kenneth Kaunda saw it fit that their major mandate and task was to liberate their country and, as such, he accommodated them.”
Luveve legislator Stella Ndlovu said they were mourning together with the people of Zambia.
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“Today, we enjoy independence in Zimbabwe because of the late Kaunda and the people of Zambia,” she said.
“We got independence because our fighters were in Zambia. It was not easy, but because of Kaunda, he did not let us fail. He permitted us to fight our enemies while we were domiciled in his country.
“We learnt a lot from the late President Kaunda and because of that, we say God has allowed Kaunda to rest because he has done great works that we admire today.
“People of Zambia, we are together in this sorrowful time and on the day of his interment, we will know that a great hero of Africa is being laid to rest. He was a great man in liberating all these nations.”
Proportional Representation MP Tatenda Mavetera (Zanu PF) said Kaunda was against injustice in helping the struggle of the black race.
“This is something that needs to be applauded and indeed, when we are united, we need to understand that we have got a Pan-African view that we share as Africans.”
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