ZAMBIA first republican President Kenneth Kaunda will during the 50th anniversary of the African Union (AU) be honored for the role he played in the liberation struggles of various Southern African states.
The colorful and historical event is scheduled to take place here at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa in May.
Zambian Ambassador to Ethiopia Francis Simenda told journalists here that Dr Kaunda was among great African leaders who immensely contributed to the liberation struggles in most African countries.
‘I am happy to inform to inform you that Dr Kaunda will be honoured this year here at the AU for his role he played in the liberation of Southern Africa.
“You know, Zambia sacrificed so much of its resources including manpower to liberate the southern region, countries like Angola, South Africa, Mozambique and so on benefited from Zambia,” he said.
He said it was surprising to note that even after the immense contribution to Africa’s welfare by Dr Kaunda, his recognition was barely noticed.
“If you look around the conference here (AU headquarters), look at the pictures of those who contributed to this organization, you didn’t see the picture of President Kaunda here,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Michael Sata is today expected to arrive here for the 20th ordinary session of the AU summit which takes place on January 27 to 28.
Mr Simenda said President Sata is today scheduled to touch down at Bole International Airport at about 12:00 hours Zambian time (13:00 hours local; time).
Mr Simenda said President Sata would be accompanied by the first lady Dr Christine Kaseba who will be attending the Organisation of African First Ladies (OAFLA) General Assembly on the sidelines of the AU heads of state summit.
He said the AU summit among many other issues would discuss prevailing conflicts on the continent.
“There are a number of issues to be discussed and one of them is the issue of conflicts in Africa. For Africa to develop we need to have peace on the continent in the various member states.
“So there are a number of conflict areas in Africa, the situation in Mali, Central African Republic, and Democratic Republic of Congo. Focus will be made to try and see how heads of State can try and resolve these issues,” he said.
He said there was also a surge in which some rebel groups in Africa wanted to overthrow legitimately elected governments hence the need to halt the trend.
Mr Simenda said the summit would also tackle issues of poverty in Africa and youth unemployment.
Mr Simenda said Africa was endowed with a lot of resources but unfortunately the continent was not managing these resources properly.
Other issues to be discussed are maternal health care and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
And Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba is in the advance party leading the Zambian delegation.
Zambia will tomorrow (January 26) be reviewed on the strides made under the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
i wise!!!
AU- Let’s get serious & work. Let honour be given to whom it’s due but let us not relax but build on what our fore father attained at independence. Africa is big & blessed but where is the influence it is supposed to send to the globe positively? Do we have to wait for America and UN to intervine in our own affairs for us to have a positive change? Let us work on our mechanisms to govern. We are not empowered to enslave others or to revenge but to build. God bless Africa.
That is a deserved honor to the son of Africa NOT the accolades which are now being manufactured/engineered in Kenya, one of the most corrupt nations on earth!
EXCUSE ME? YOU SAY MY PRESIDENT, MICHAEL SATA, IS TODAY EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN ADDIS FOR THE 20TH ORDINARY SESSION OF THE AU SUMMIT WHICH TAKES PLACE ON JANUARY 27 TO 28! A DAY OR SO AGO THE RABBLE-ROUSER ZWD REPORTED THAT THE PRESIDENT HAD GONE TO INDIA FOR MEDICALS!!!!!!!!!!
I thought ZWD hinted that Indian medical personnel arrived in Zambia for the presido’s checks and not that our president flew to India. Failed exam already, try GCE or a Supplementary exam now.
English comprehension!It said “Indian doctors were at State House to attending to the president.” Which of those didnt you get right?
You have no idea how things work and believe it or not arguing with you would a biggest mistake. Sata was supposed to have gone to India for his medical routines but firstly it has been deferred up until AU Summit comes to an end. He is moreover being attended to by the same Drs. from from India who are in the country at his invitations. The same drs. arrived in Addis Ababa aboard ET 837 and are staying at the Jupiter Hotel in Addis just to make sure the President is order and fit to continue with his business. If you have no information just shut up and do not open your mouth uncontrollably
IF THE PRESIDENT IS ZAMBIA, WHO IS THEN IN INDIA FOR MEDICALS AS REPORTED BY THE ZWD?
nobody, i thought you can read. go back to the watchdog and read again
If it is true the PRESIDENT is in Zambia today and not in India as reported by the ZWD a few days ago, then I will hence forth regard any report I read in the ZWD as a rumor or fabrication unless the ZWD could come forward with a retraction or correction.
Zwd never reported that the President is in India,check your facts before you discredit institutions.
Please cast your net wider if you want to get news close to the truth.
Mr Mojo, the DOG reported that President Sata had been flown to India a few days ago. That report disappeared a soon as it was reported.
Please give us your “institution’s” version!!
You seem to be the only one that read that version of the ZWD which said that MCS had been flown to India.
You are Welcome H.E. M.C.S. Looking forward to the meeting with the Zambians.
Cde Bull Dozer, the ZWD…never HINTED, the story that followed the one you are quoting said the President had flown to India for medicals. May be you and your colleague, MOJO, missed the story because it disappeared as soon as it appeared. Please check with the owners of the ZWD because I suspect they do not have an editor. Look at the the grammar and spelling errors on their latest posting on
‘My comment is not appearing on Watchdog’.
Is it my ‘comment’ or ‘comments’?
for the first time our kk has been honoured thanx goes to my beloved president sata and given lubinda ,
Please do not insult the Zambian people with falsehoods about what Sata has done for Dr. Kaunda. Sata and Chiluba destroyed Kaunda’s name when Sata was in MMD. They would not even allow Kaunda to be received by Zambian diplomats abroad and those who received him were fired. Let us not re-invent history.
I HAVE ALWAYS SAID THAT KK IS GREATER THAN MANDELA. WHAT HAS DISCREDITED KK IS HIS BEHAVIOUR AND NOT WANTING TO SHUT UP HIS MOUTH. AND GETTING INVOLVED IN SILLY INTERNAL POLITICS. ALSO AT ONE TIME HE CAME BACK TO POLITICS AFTER RETIREMENT!!!!!.
REMEMBER THE FIRST COUNTRY MANDELA CAME TO PAY TRIBUTE TO IS TO KK AND ZAMBIA. MANDELA’S VISIT WAS SO MEMORABLE. ALL THE PEOPLE IN LUSAKA LINED THE STREETS TO GREET THAT HUMBLE AND GREAT SON OF AFRICA.
KK WAS MY COMMANDER IN CHIEF DURING THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE. WE CANNOT EASILY FORGET WHAT HAPPENED TO SOME OF FRIENDS AND US. IT WAS PAINFUL. TODAY, SOUTH AFRICAN BLACKS EVEN STONE US!!!! WHAT A SHAME. WHAT A HISTORY!!!!
Give Honour where honour is DUE! Congratulations to the Great Father of our Nation His Honour Dr K .D. Kaunda for what you have given to our great nation later on Africa. I believe many more recognition and honours are still coming your way for your great and inspiring achievements for our nation and Africa, and indeed you will live to see and recieve them even in your old age.Only one hero recieves standing ovation at every Africa’s regional and international meetings and thats KK. Long live KK!!
From there Sata will come back home via India.
Honoured for what??????
KK will be honoured for keeping your smelly bottom in Zambia without you running away because of war. You are right somehow, they should have honoured your father, grandfather and HH.
you guys are so funny…”honored for what?” please stop advertising your ignorance!
Very funny indeed
At last the dictator KK is being honored by AU for being a saddist during his rule. By the way, what liberation when countries liberated themselves. KK use to talk only because he had media at his disposal. Ask Dos Santos of Angola if he will agree with you that dictator KK deserve the honor.
Some you win some you lose. KK may have supported the wrong side in Angola, and in Zimbabwe (u Joshua Nkhomo) but he had it right in South Africa, Mozambique and Namibia. So when asking Eduardo Dos Santos, do the same in Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Some of these countries do recognise the sacrifices Zambia made at the behest of KK and others dont. Thats life. KK had his own faults though
Lack of historical knowledge: Kaunda supported Angolan liberation. When Angola got independence a civil War erupted. KK was on Savimbi’s side. But he quickly switched to Neto
KK is known by all liberation movements Ask anyone from MPLA, UNITA ZANU ZAPU FRELIMO. ANC SWAPO. Only a danderhead would say these countries liberated themselves. My father had to go to military service from school because Zambia was in the thick off the liberation war.
From what I read in our history and in spite of his many faults, ‘super Ken’ did help in the liberation struggle of many countries in Southern Africa. I can understand the animosity some have with him being honournerd as a hero but he did do what they are honouring him for. But we can’t ignore what he did to some people while in power either. Some of my own kin, as with others out there, were tortured, arrested by KK for opposing him or not agreeing with him. Apparently that kind of leadership is appealing in Zambia; Sata was elected to the presidency and his rule is steadily corrupted and retrogressive. Yay for us right? #smdh
Sori for that bra
The AU must be shtupid. Why did it have to take us to remind them of KK’s role in Africa’s liberation? KK was one of the founders of the OAU so don’t they know him? I understand they don’t even have his picture at the HQ Are they living in the here-now world where you don’t think of your past and your future? In fact after the death of Gaddafi the AU has become insipid. We should just pull out like Morocco.