African leaders to emulate political icons such as the late Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere and Nelson Mandela by waging a relentless fight against poverty, diseases and political violence that has rocked most African countries.
Dr Kaunda said he was confident that just as Africa worked hard and won its war against slavery, colonialism and apartheid, the continent had the capacity to overcome its present challenges.
The Zambian first President was speaking at Johannesburg’s Sandton International Convention Centre on Tuesday night when he bestowed the African President of the Year 2009 award on the current South African President Jacob Zuma,
This is according to a press statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka by Second Secretary for press at the Zambian High Commission in South Africa.
The awards founded by the African awareness Media and the Kenneth Kaunda Children of Africa Foundation which Dr Kaunda is Chairman, recognizes achievements made by the selected recipients in various fields and also serve to honor African leaders.
And in accepting the award, President Zuma praised Dr Kaunda for his good spirit which he said had been a guiding moral compass in Zambia.
Mr Zuma said the awards help remind African leaders of their responsibility to the people they serve.
He said it is a privilege to receive the award from President Kaunda and said Zambia being the former headquarters of ANC was his home away from home due to Dr Kaunda’s unity and hospitality adding that African leaders needed to emulate him.
The South African President noted that what was most special about the award was that it was African recognizing what they consider as achievement and appreciating their own.
He said African leaders have pledged to strive to eradicate poverty, diseases and conflicts and that they would also promote trade, investment, economic growth, skills development and stability on the continent.
“To promote good governance, we established the African Peer Review mechanism to foster economic integration and development we established the New Partnership for Africa development (NEPAD). These must the instrument we use to advance the cause of our continent,” Mr. Zuma said.
Also honored at the same function were Nigeria’s First Lady, Dr Hajiya Yar’ Adua as the best African First Lady of the year, the late South African singer Miriam Makeba as great Daughter of Africa and Nigerian academic Alhaji Dr Maintama Sule as great son of Africa.
ZANIS
At least for once people are recognising Zuma on the basis of governance and NOT personal profile…that’s the way forward keep it up!!
Hmm! just wondering what Zuma has done so far…but atleast he is better than our own….(RB) Big up to Nigerian First lady….Thandie hasgot a lot to learn from her other than visiting the half naked Swazi King…
There are a lot of Past leaders who can inspare the current leaders, but most of them are in it for the money , not the pipo.
Zuma seems to have the right vision. As long as he executes and countries like Zed emulate RSA, then we can be hopeful that economic growth, health and peace will prevail in the Continent.
It’s good to hear that polygamists are also receiving awards of that nature. #3 Savannah, improve on your spellings.
Ba KK ngatabaliko bonse apa nibangwele!
Ba LT where is story on New warning on ‘perfect vaginas’ it recvd nice contributions.
Ba LT where is story on New warning on ‘perfect v.a.g.i.n.a.s’ it recvd nice contributions.
LT, if the story on the perfect poolsee is not returned on the forum, trust me I am coming down to Lusaka to file a case in the Magistrates Court. This amounts to stifling freedom of expression!
Fyabufifye Zuma doesnt deserve any prize as at the moment. May be in future
#7 & 10….mwanya…
Kaunda also! Why not give his ex-boss RB? RB has been working harder and has been in the system longer than Zuma. He is also married to one woman unlike Zuma who is lined up to another next may! Every day we hear RB has done this or has done that! He has even copared other to SATAN? Does he even go to church to know who satan is? At least Zuma is humble: He has humble education, has worked hard at getting commissions through big government contracts. So far they have failed to prosecute him surely this is not the way to get rewards?
read ex junior not ex-boss!
Living this far from home, I don’t know what Zuma has done to receive this award on our (Africans’) behalf. Neither have I ever heard of this award, anyway. Who decides on who should win? It’s good to see Zuma recognizing the role we Zedians and KK played in the liberation of fellow blacks from slavery, though. We played it big, and father Kwame Nkrumah must have smiled in his grave. Can we give RB The Failure of The Decade Award?
LT were is the vigina story, this is being sexist. Why pull it from the site ????
The next swimming pool case
I dont think Zuma deserves the award. What has he done to deserve it? He is like our RB who also gives promises but never fulfils them. How many times have South Africans gone on strike under his rule.? Whoever who gives this award should have researched on leaders in Africa and not in Southern Africa. Maybe it would have been better to give the award to our Grand father MUGABE, what do you think bloggers?
Zuma has done/achieved NOTHING. Besides, he is a kabova just like Sata.
Such awards which can be given even to kabovas should never exist. No wonder we have meaningless awards!!! Just to make him feel important???
What has Zuma done? African tyrants patting themselves on their backs.
it seems zuma and Obama are have got political vision in leadership and good governance, so far they are the only presidents to receive presidential awardsand noble awards respectively just after one year of been presidents. Is RB not ashamed of failing to make a name in one year he has lead zambia?
Obama,Zuma and Rupia Banda were voted into power almost at the same time. Who has more impact so far?
#12, just what are you saying? I think you are contradicting yourself.
NO 21. RB off course
What sort of an award is this one? Looks like it is designed to amass support and legitimacy for mediocre leadership in Africa. Can anyone point out for me any achievement(s) or contribution(s) Zuma has made towards the poor in RSA? It is like bestowing the “Best Student” award on a student in term one. The same goes for Obama’s peace prize.
zuma can be decorated by kaunda.he has directed the police to shoot criminals on site.he has maintained the economic policies that voters thought he would change.the experts have thus praised zuma for being a politician.appeasing the voters by agreeing with them and yet not doing anything they say.everybody thought malema would be a minister .he is not.he is still a cadre.despite the former finance minister (trevor)display of lack of confidence in zuma,zuma went and appointed him to a more senior position.talk about zambia and its politics,only mwanawasa would act like zuma.viva KK.
Here in SA people are also wondering this award is for. The man has had more strikes and service delivery riots than any other time in this country, promised much and has so far been ducking and diving. He has appointed his tribesmen in most strategic positions like Chief Justice, Police commisioner, Justice minister and others. If you look at his appointments, he is trying to bury his legal woes. Meaning he will not be charged ever again after over 700 charges of corruption were dropped. On the continent, he’s been a non-starter. Ducking the zim issue every now and then, I know this is plot to polish his image after his history with the law. He awarded himself another one before being ingurated some months back, all he does is promise to listen, maybe thats what africa needs now.
African president of the year? I have to try to digest that irony
Leave the SA case to S. Africans to worry about! KK, also whats wrong with the old man’s head! He seems to be living in own little world, praising this and that fallen hero! We need you to guide these buffons we have in government on visionary leadership. Thats y they are associating with ka kafupi, because you are lost in SA. Come back home and provide advice to these thick heads! I know they won’t take it, but it worth a try! The days of liberation and Pan Africanism are long gone.
What has Zuma done for him to be awarded the African President of the Year,, i know there are other worth pipo for this award, not Zuma. Atase tiyeni uko. you empty tins.Is this the same man who said you can not contract Aids , as long as you immediately take a shower after sleeping with an infeacted person. Shame on you all.
#5U, iwe kaponya, uko pamenso kuyipa, who gave you the right to look at pipos spellings , get a life. kapunde ku ma bus. bus conductor.
In SA, people call Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Nigeria, etc Africa. The company I work for has investments in other African countries which they call ‘our africa operations.’ Ironic Mr Zuma won the AFRICAN leadership award, their citizens don’t think much of Africa let alone think they were continental Africans
To the best of my recollection, Thabo Mbeki deserved this award. When you talk about NEPAD, African Peer Review mechanism and the African Renaissance, these instruments bear his insignia. No one deserves this accolade more than him.
#30 Savannah- Bus conductors are people too and they have nothing to do with your failure to master the English language. You get a life and a dictionary.
Award for Clown of Africa goes to ———J. Zuma,
#33 ewe kaponya tiye uko.
#33 I dont have to tell you what i have or what i do,Work or Education wise , this is just a blog , it does need to be spell checked , if you dont like it, please i advise that you leave this blog. Go and read your books, thats if you can even read.
Daniella #11 Wanya iwe wine what have we said that makes you want our shit?
Monalissasyndrome#32, I cant agree with you more. The aloofness he has been accused of by his South African political foes aside, Thabo was a great son of Africa. He championed Pan Africanism like noone else in his country. He was far removed from the xenophobic citizens he was ruling.
Only Ian Nkama deserves that trophy, or the president of Seychelles because thay at the least have eighty percent leadership intergrity. But the trophy belongs to Botswana and her people.