President Hakainde Hichilema has called on Zambians to develop the spirit of entrepreneurship and hard work that late politician, Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula believed in.
Mr Hichilema said the current crop of leaders must draw lessons from the late Nkumbula’s entrepreneurship skills and his strong spirit amid hardships.
Speaking when he launched the Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula Foundation in Lusaka , Mr Hichilema advised Zambians to remain strong amid the crisis of the drought.He explained that the late Nkumbula was a strong and skilled fundraiser who went from house to house for any form of donation in order to champion and finance the independence struggle that time.
Mr Hichilema also praised the late Nkumbula for promoting unity and democracy in the country which Zambians are now enjoying.
“From this illustrious son of the soil, Zambians must learn lessons to be industrious, hard work, strong and have entrepreneurial skills in order to contribute positively to the growth of the country, my message to Zambians is to work hard and nothing else,” he said.
He added that the spirit of entrepreneurship and hard work which Nkumbula espoused must be embraced by Zambians through setting up businesses to generate resources to help grow the economy.
The President indicated that once the country has a functional economy, sectors such as education, health, agriculture among others will receive significant support to benefit the Zambians.He said to this effect, his government will continue promoting the investment expenditure which he described as key in building the economy as opposed to the consumption type of economy.
He further said that despite facing various challenges such as cholera, Covid-19 and climate change crisis, especially the drought, Zambians must remain steadfast and hopeful to surmount them.
“I implore every Zambian to learn lessons from Nkumbula to remain strong for us to achieve our intended goals in life, Nkumbula, Kenneth Kaunda and other political figures showed tenacity and dedication to fight for independence, “ he said.
Mr Hichilema stressed that his government is on top of things to devise a climate change resilient mechanism in order for the country to remain strong and afloat.
He observed that Zambia is on the economic growth trajectory especially after restructuring the huge debt the country had with bondholders and other official creditors.
The President has since commended the Nkumbula family for the establishment of the Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula Foundation which will help to preserve political history among others.
And Chief Justice Mumba Malila described, late Nkumbula as an outstanding statesman who believed in the rule of law and a proponent of democratic tenets.He observed that Nkumbula’s political life today stands as a reminder of a man who had a vision to liberate Zambia and promoted peace which the Zambians are now enjoying.
Justice Malila said the memories of Nkumbula reminds Zambians of the requisite value that a good leader must possess, such as tolerance, vision, humility among others.He added that the late Nkumbula held a high ethical standard and principles in his pursuit for freedom from British rule.The Chief Justice said Mr Nkumbula was an influential political figure who served the nation with an unshakeable belief in national reconciliation.
In her vote of thanks, the late Nkumbula’s daughter, Ompie Nkumbula praised President Hichilema for the introduction of the free education policy and that her late father was a proponent of offering quality education to all.
She thanked President Hichilema for eulogizing her father for scoring on education and entrepreneurship prior to Independence which had set a tone for Zambia.
The late Nkumbula, who was born in 1916 and died in 1983, was the second and longest serving president of Zambia’s foremost political organisation, the African National Congress (ANC).
Source: Lusakatimes
