By SIMON MUNTEMBA
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has been honoured as freeman of the greater city of Lusaka by the Lusaka City Council.
In accepting his elevation to the status of honourary Freeman of the greater city of Lusaka, President Lungu said he was humbled for the great honour and that he would forever remember and treasure the recognition as a lifetime achievement.
“It is truly an honour to be conferred with the status of honourary freeman of the city of Lusaka. when I look back at the people that have been honoured before such as first republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and the former president of South Africa late Nelson Mandela, to name but a few, I acknowledge that this is an honour not lightly conferred, and therefore, it is important to me and I shall highly value it for the rest of my life,” President Lungu said.
He thanked the mayor of Lusaka, Mr Miles Sampa, who in his speech highlighted President Lungu’s attributes as a result of well thought out policies by cabinet ministers under his leadership that he deserved the honour.
Mr Sampa said Lusaka city had seen rapid development during his tenure as republican President and hoped to continue on the same trajectory not only in Lusaka but the rest of the country.
“ I am poised to make Zambia, and Lusaka, in particular, a better place to live in. the people of this country entrusted me with the responsibility of leading this country and I will do my best to provide the much needed leadership,” he said.
Mr Lungu said the last five years had shown that a city could still achieve its original status of being a garden city when it was guided by principle, consistency and loyalty to its ideals of development which embraces everyone by not leaving anyone behind.
