Obert Simwanza
4 September 2008
PRESIDENT Mwanawasa's family has implored the Government to implement developmental projects that the late head of state intended to embark upon if he had returned home alive.
Speaking during the burial ceremony at Embassy Park in Lusaka yesterday, family member Leslie Mbula said that whilst in Egypt where the president had gone to attend the African Union (AU) summit, he informed his wife of several developmental projects.
Mr Mbula said that widow, Maureen Mwanawasa, communicated the developmental projects to him.
He said that among the developmental projects Dr Mwanawasa intended to embark upon was the national housing programme whose objective was to provide decent accommodation to citizens and develop Kasaba Bay and Livinstone into tourism destinations of international level. He also discussed the road rehabilitation projects which comes in the wake of the acquisition of road equipment from China.
"As a family, we make an earnest appeal to the Government or whoever will be elected to implement the programmes for the benefit of the people of Zambia. We believe it would be unforgivable to allow these programmes die with Levy," Mr Mbula said.
Mr Mbula, who is Zambia's high commissioner to South Africa, said that in the death of Dr Mwanawasa, the family had lost a pillar to lean on and a source of inspiration. He said that the family would forever cherish the love that Dr Mwanawasa showed to them.
Soon after Dr Mwanawasa assumed office as Republican president, he said that the family was deprived of their relative, as he now became a national property. He said that Dr Mwanawasa devoted too much time to serving the nation as opposed to attending to family issues.
This, he said could be attested in the mission statement that the late president coined soon after assuming office.
"When Levy became President, he ceased to be ours and became a national property. Although the death of Levy has been devastating to the family, we are comforted that he lived a God fearing life," Mr Mbula said.
He also thanked the Zambians for being supportive to the family from the time that Dr Mwanawasa fell ill until the time he died. He said that Zambians prayed for the recovery of the president but as fate would have it, he eventually gave up his life on August 19.
The Mwanawasa family, Mr Mbula said was also indebted to the Egyptian and French governments for the assistance rendered during the time that Dr Mwanawasa was ill and subsequent death.
He said that the assistance rendered by the two governments as well as the people of Zambia was an indication of their love for Dr Mwanawasa.
In likening Dr Mwanawasa to Moses of the biblical times, he urged Zambians to exercise wisdom in selecting his successor whom he likened to Joshua.
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