VICE-PRESIDENT Mutale Nalumango says First Republican president Dr Kenneth Kaunda was never corrupted by power.
And Vice-President Nalumango says Dr Kaunda deserves to be remembered because he was a good man.
Speaking during the UNZA public lecture to mark the commemoration of the first Kenneth Kaunda Day, Thursday, Vice-President Nalumango said Dr Kaunda was described by many of his peers as being among Africa’s most clean politicians.
“Dr Kaunda was indeed a man whom power never corrupted. They say power corrupts but he was not corrupted. He was described by many of his peers to have been among African most clean politicians in terms of record as Scotland Yard published when it was called in to investigate his alleged corrupt practices and theft following his loss of power in 1991,” Vice-President Nalumango said.
She said Dr Kaunda deserved to be remembered because he was a good man.
“Dr Kaunda deserves to be remembered because he was a good man. I agree with a person who formulated that ‘he was a good man’. His genuine love for mankind compelled him to preach humanism. Like Jesus Christ of Nazareth, he called upon all of us to love God our creator with all our hearts and strength. He called upon us to love our neighbour as we love ourselves and [to] do unto others as we would love them to do unto us. What a foundation to all of us in my shoes. Politicians, it is time we must begin to do things for the service of man. When I say man, and women indeed,” Vice-President Nalumango.
“He was talking about education, you graduates of the University of Zambia going out into fields, if education is not to serve another man then it is in futility. It is not valid. And this is true today, colleagues that are still in the university, those that have graduated, it is not always just about you, it’s to the service of other people. And I think to me as a politician, are you like me as a politician, it’s time to serve other people otherwise we will not develop. When you are surrounded by yourself, how would you make progress?”
She said Dr Kaunda also firmly advocated for a United Africa and a United World.
“KK as the nation fondly called him, not only led Zambia’s liberation struggle into victory but also played a pivotal role in the liberation struggle of the entire Southern Africa. KK not only preached and worked to achieve unity in Zambia but he was also a firm advocate of both a United Africa and a United World,” Vice-President Nalumango said.
She added that Dr Kaunda did a lot for Zambia, Africa and the world at large.
“Dr David was human like all of us. Dr Kaunda made his own mistakes, no doubt about that. But this aside, Dr Kaunda did a lot for Zambia, Africa and the world at large. He also cut his last presidential term by heart so that he could allow for plain elections and refused the tension that was mounting in the nation. This was a demonstration of a true democrat who had the love of the nation at heart. When it became clear to Dr Kaunda that he was losing the 1991 general elections, he conceded defeat before the end of the count and left office with dignity,” said Vice-President Nalumango.
