Friday, March 29, 2024

Zambia at 50: Message from FDD’s Edith Nawakwi

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Edith Z. Nawakwi FDD President.
Edith Z. Nawakwi FDD President.

FDD’s GOLDEN JUBILEE MESSAGE

Let me begin by paying special tribute to our gallant men and women who risked their lives to fight for the Independence that we enjoy and cherish today. Their patriotism and selflessness teaches us that though we have individual dreams our future is inextricably intertwined and we rise and fall as One Zambia, One Nation.

As we celebrate our Golden Jubilee we need to take time to deeply reflect on why 50 years after Independence over 60% of our people are living in extreme poverty. We are a better country than one were over 50% of expecting mothers give birth without the care of qualified midwives; we are a better country than one were 50% of our newly born babies receive no post-natal care.

We are a better country than one were thousands of students with distinctions are turned away from the doors of our universities because their parents cannot afford to pay tuition fees and the government denies them Scholarships. We are a better country than one were over 40% of our children are undernourished.

We are a better country than one were divergent views are suppressed or are met with brute force. We are a better country than one were our farmers have to protest just to get their hard-earned dues. We are a better country than one were over 46% girl children below the age of 18 are either pregnant, married or have had a child. Zambians we are a better country than this.

We all have a sacred duty to ensure that the next 50years should not look like the past 50 years. We have to summon that inner spirit of ubuntu to love and care about one another. We have to evoke the spirit of patriotism and selflessness and in the words of Kennedy, ask not what this country can do for us but what we can do for the country. We ought to realize that we are the change we seek.

For those that have been privileged with the favour to rule over us they must always remember that power belongs to the people, that they are only temporal custodians of our reigns. They should use that power cautiously and to the benefits of our people and not for personal gain.

We have to thank God for blessing our land with plenty of natural resources and unlimited potential. But we have to realise that it will take you and me to work together to maximize the benefits of these resources.

Now is the time to revolutionaries our Agriculture and mechanize and commercialize it to create jobs and wealth at household level. Now is the time to build processing and manufacturing industries right here in Zambia and not to step aside and watch while foreigners ship our minerals.

Now is the time to enact a Constitution that will not only epitomize the aspirations of the people but will guarantee the social, economical and civil liberties of all our people. Now is the time to provide a world class health care system and preserve sanctity of life, for a healthy nation is a wealthy nation.

Now is the time to make education a basic right and ensure that a child’s dream should not be shattered by lack of money to pay school fees but by her own failure to work hard to get the type of education she wants. Now is the time to unleash the tourism potential and create jobs and wealth at household level.

Let us remember, that it will take not only government but all of us to create that Zambia we want. As citizens we need to summon our moral and intellectual courage to work hard and stand up and fight all forms of social, political and economic Justice.

To all our freedom fighters, we say thank you so much for all that you sacrificed.

May God bless us Zambia.

Edith Z. Nawakwi
FDD President.

8 COMMENTS

    • She is beautiful but not attracting any attention.
      My president got 91 comments, still counting. Ba Sata 42 comments, Nevers Mumba 28, HH I don’t know maybe 70 comments now.

  1. @Nawakwi-If you did simple developmental courses at B.A. level- you would agree with me that there is no progressive realisation in radically changing the social-economic development agenda from people in influential political positions.All that we are receiving are rhetorical pronouncements & lip services but people contribute tax to the treasury.You politicians are asking too much from the poor people & this has brought despondency & voter apathy both after & during elections respectively.Refléct on the many lies from PF & the pervasive miseries brought by poverty due to political failure.Its high time we started holding to task any irresponsible statement from politicians & or president there & then.Thax!

  2. The best opposition speech with all the correct targets for Zambians. It is true we only have ourselves to dream and to enact that dream.

    Hon. Nawaki is a serious contender 2016, and most definitely the best of opposition crops.

    God bless her and our country.

  3. Beautiful Mama we love you and sigh that there are people like you, who can speak for us without a voice. You are our true heroes.

  4. congrats mum for your article, I worked for Nawakwi back in 1998, gooood condtions, its time we had a woman for President n Nawakwi is spot on.

  5. Saying the folloing in the second paragraph at this time reveals why she can never be President:
    “As we celebrate our Golden Jubilee we need to take time to deeply reflect on why 50 years after Independence over 60% of our people are living in extreme poverty. We are a better country than one were over 50% of expecting mothers give birth without the care of qualified midwives; we are a better country than one were 50% of our newly born babies receive no post-natal care.”

    Edith, you had an opportunity to re-make zambia with chiluba. You blew it and you are also to blame.

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