AUDITOR General Dr Dickson Sichembe says former president Rupiah Banda will be remembered for his strong stance against corruption.

And Drug Enforcement Agency (DEC) Director General Mary Chirwa says Banda created a conducive environment for oversight institutions to freely operate.

Speaking at the funeral house, Monday, Dr Sichembe said Banda ensured that the country’s resources were utilised prudently.

“First and foremost, we want to send our condolences to the family and the Zambians at large for the loss of our beloved fourth president, Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda. We came here as oversight institutions. We remember our late president as someone who had the heart for the people. Someone who looked to ensure that the resources that the country has are utilised for the intended purpose. Someone who never tolerated the misuse of resources. Someone who loved his people to ensure that they get out of the challenges of poverty that we have. As oversight institutions, we benefited very much [from] the support that he gave us to ensure that we have the resources, we have the tools and we have the knowledge and the capabilities to fight corruption, to fight financial crime, to fight drug abuse and to fight misdirection of resources. We will greatly miss him and we remain committed and dedicated to ensuring that we will carry his legacy to ensure that all the public resources are protected. We will ensure that we deliver on that,” said Dr Sichembe.

“We will remember our president for the fight on the mismanagement of public resources. He had a very strong heart in terms of management of public resources to ensure that the resources are directed to the vulnerable groups and the vulnerable people, to lift the standards of the Zambians. We will forever remember his stance against corruption, his stance against the misuse of public resources. Where we are coming as oversight institutions, we pledge that we continue the fight. We remain resolute and steadfast to ensure that we carry forward his vision to make Zambia a better place.”

And Chirwa said under Banda’s leadership, oversight institutions were able to work without fear or favour.

“One thing that we would want to appreciate him even in his death, is the fact that he created a conducive environment for oversight to operate freely. There was no interference in the work, I think that if you go back to the time he led this country, law enforcement agencies were able to do their work without fear or favor. I think that is something that we do appreciate as law enforcement agencies, and oversight institutions. We thank him even for what he did last year after the elections in bringing our two Presidents together. That to us is the beginning also of creating that conducive environment for us to continue doing our work without fear or favour. Therefore, may his soul rest in peace indeed,” said Chirwa.

And Financial Intelligence Centre FIC acting director general Liya Tembo said Banda valued peace.

“Indeed what we can’t doubt is the manner in which the late president valued peace, that was very clear throughout his leadership. We only hope that legacy can continue. It is just a reminder that as we live on this earth, we all choose the type of legacy we live and it is very important that type of legacy impacts the many Zambians,” said Tembo.

Meanwhile First Deputy Speaker Attractor Malungo Chisangano said Parliament was negatively affected by Banda’s death.

“When the message came, all members of parliament were affected. We had games between Zambia and Malawi, that was on a Saturday, everything was canceled just to honour our forth republican president. I can say that most of the members of the parliament were [affected]. Even the members of staff, because they knew the president very well. He was one man who had a sense of humour, he was very jovial most of the time, things were easy to flow. He didn’t complicate things, he could laugh with the people. He was an easy president to move with the people,” said Chisangano.

And British High Commissioner to Zambia Nicolas Woolley said Banda was a great ally to the United Kingdom.

“His passing will be a great loss to all of us. If I may also say that her Majesty the Queen has also written to the President to express her deep condolences and sadness at his passing, we convey from Buckingham Palace a message personally from the Queen to that effect and she talks as well about the important role that he had for all the Zambians, he [was] a peace builder as well. I think he was clearly very affectionate towards the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom has lost a great friend in His Excellency. The last time we were speaking together just a few weeks ago, we were planning a visit to the United Kingdom of course to see his children. The energy and the enthusiasm that he had for all sorts of areas was remarkable. We spoke about increasing links between our two nations in football. We talked about links in technology and science, right to the end, he was a wonderful ambassador for Zambia and a great ally for the United Kingdom,” said Woolley.