Sun, 29 Oct 2017 11:37:15 +0000
…to honour Sata, Zambia must reconcile
By Chikumbi Katebe
FORMER first lady Christine Kaseba has appealed to all Zambians to heed President Edgar Lungu’s calls for reconciliation as a way of honouring the memory of her late husband President Michael Sata.
Dr Kaseba said Zambians need to love one another if they are to honour the memory of president Sata who preached peace and reconciliation especially within the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) party.
The emotional Dr Kaseba moved the congregants who gathered for the memorial service of her late husband held at the Catholic’s Cathedral of the Child Jesus yesterday.
The former first lady broke down at the fond memories of her husband whom she described as a loving father, brother and national leader who sacrificed his all including his health to attend to the needs of the poor people in the country.
The memorial service was attended by hundreds of PF supporters and sympathisers, among them President Lungu and the first lady Esther Lungu who led the PF family from across the country, the Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini, Cabinet Ministers, and Members of Parliament former and other senior party officials and members of the Sata family.
“All those who knew (Michael) Mr Sata would attest to what he believed in, loyalty, peace and reconciliation, and that he would never go to bed with something in his heart.
“I therefore call on all Zambians to heed President Lungu’s calls for reconciliation as a way of honouring the memories of my husband, the PF founding father and a national leader he was, late president Michael Sata,” she said.
She explained that her husband was loved by many, but on the other hand he was loathed by some people who did not understand his vison and charisma, but that all could attest to the fact that he was a unifier who never looked at tribe, religion or skin colour.
And Dr Kaseba hailed President Lungu for keeping the spirit of her husband alive in the ongoing infrastructure programmes started under the leadership of the late president.
She said her late husband managed to turn Zambia into a massive construction site with his vision that would change the country forever, and his spirit continue to live on in all the new health facilities, roads, bridges and housing structures spread across the country.
