REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA ADDRESS TO THE NATION BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA, MR. MICHAEL CHILUFYA SATA ON ZAMBIA’S 50TH INDEPENDENCE ANNIVESARY AND THE GOLDEN JUBILEE 24TH OCTOBER, 2014. COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN, ALLOW ME, ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA TO GIVE THANKS TO THE ALMIGHTY GOD ON OUR COUNTRY’S FIFTIETH INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY. ON THIS DAY AND AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR, I LAUNCHED THE YEAR LONG COMMEMORATION OF THIS ANNIVERSARY UNDER THE THEME: COMMEMORATING GODS FAVOUR OF ZAMBIA’S 50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE FOR CONTINUED PEACE, UNITY, DEMOCRACY, PATRIOTISM AND PROSPERITY. WE THANK GOD FOR HIS FAVOUR IN SUSTAINING OUR INDEPENDENCE FOR HALF A CENTURY AND ENABLING US TO CELEBRATE THIS HISTORIC OCCASION. I EXPRESS MY SINCERE AND WARMEST GRATITUDE TO THE CITIZENS OF THIS GREAT NATION FOR COMMEMORATING THIS HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT WITH DIGNITY, JOY, PEACE AND UNITY. I AM ALSO GRATEFUL FOR THE MESSAGES OF GOODWILL AND SOLIDARITY FROM HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT, HEADS OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND OTHER WELL WISHERS. THESE MESSAGES REAFFIRM ZAMBIA AS A MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WITH A WIDE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS. COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN, ON THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION, I PAY SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO OUR FOUNDING FATHERS AND MOTHERS, THE GALLANT FREEDOM FIGHTERS, WHO FOUGHT FOR OUR INDEPENDENCE, SOME OF WHOM HAVE SINCE DEPARTED. OUR FREEDOM FIGHTERS, DRIVEN BY PATRIOTISM, LOYALTY AND LOVE, PUT ASIDE THE INSTINCT FOR SELF-PRESERVATION AND RISKED THEIR LIVES AND THOSE OF THEIR FAMILIES. TODAY, WE CELEBRATE THIS DAY IN HISTORY WHEN OUR FORE FATHERS EMERGED VICTORIOUS 50 YEARS AGO. THEIR TIRELESS AND HEROIC SACRIFICES HAVE MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO BE HERE TODAY. COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN, WHEN WE LOOK BACK, WE ARE PROUD OF OUR ACHIEVEMENTS AS A NATION. AT INDEPENDENCE, WE CREATED A NEW COUNTRY EAGER TO RULE ITSELF BUT CHALLENGED IN SEVERAL RESPECTS BY SUCH CONSTRAINTS AS POOR HUMAN CAPITAL ATTAINMENTS INHERITED FROM COLONIALISM. WE, HOWEVER, MET THE CHALLENGES OF NATION-BUILDING WITH SINGLE MINDED DETERMINATION AND ENTHUSIASM. ALTHOUGH WE STILL HAVE SOME CHALLENGES TO OVERCOME IN OUR QUEST TO DELIVER HIGHER LEVELS OF PROSPERITY, WE ARE DETERMINED TO FACE THE FUTURE WITH HEIGHTENED ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM TO CONSOLIDATE OUR POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROGRESS. UNDER THE NATIONAL MOTTO: ‘ONE ZAMBIA, ONE NATION’, WE HAVE ENJOYED UNITY, PEACE AND STABILITY DESPITE OUR ETHNIC DIVERSITY. WE MUST THEREFORE CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER AS A UNITED PEOPLE, FOR NATIONAL BUILDING. SINCE INDEPENDENCE, THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE HAS CONTINUED TO BE THE BASIS OF AUTHORITY OF THE GOVERNMENT. OUR SUCCESS IN THIS ENDEAVOUR IS DEMONSTRATED BY THE COUNTRY HAVING HAD FIVE PRESIDENTS FROM THREE POLITICAL PARTIES THROUGH PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER AFTER DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS. COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN, AS WE MOVE BEYOND THE GOLDEN JUBILEE, OUR PRIMARY TASK AND THAT OF FUTURE GENERATIONS IS THE MODERNISATION AND TRANSFORMATION OF OUR COUNTRY THROUGH SUSTAINED RAPID ECONOMIC GROWTH. WE HAVE THE DUTY TO UPHOLD DEMOCRACY THROUGH GOOD GOVERNANCE, TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND UPHOLDING HUMAN RIGHTS. WE ALSO HAVE A DUTY TO GENERATE WEALTH WHOSE BENEFITS INCLUDE THE DISTRIBUTION OF INCOMES THROUGH EMPLOYMENT AND TAXES TO THE GOVERNMENT. WE HAVE TO INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND INVESTMENT IN ORDER TO REDUCE POVERTY. LET US THEREFORE, MOBILISE IN ONE GREAT COOPERATIVE NATIONAL EFFORT THE ENORMOUS ENERGY OF OUR SOCIETY IN ORDER TO OVERCOME AND ELIMINATE POVERTY. ON ITS PART, OUR GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO OPEN THE COUNTRY WIDE TO SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, AND TO NEW IDEAS AND SKILLS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD IN ORDER TO CREATE A BETTER LIFE FOR ALL, PARTICULARLY THE POOR AND MARGINALISED. COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN, AS I CONCLUDE, LET ME STATE THAT TODAY, ALL OF US BY OUR CELEBRATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, CONFER GLORY AND HOPE, TO TAKE ZAMBIA TO GREATER HEIGHTS. MAY GOD’S GRACE BE WITH YOU ALL AND HAPPY FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS. I THANK YOU
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 10:04:53 +0000
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