Republican President Michael Sata has eulogized late former Defence Minister Benjamin Mwila describing him as a man who dedicated his life to better Zambia.
Speaking during a church service at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus today held in honor of the late Mr Mwila, the Head of State said the former defence Minister played an important role in shaping Zambia’s post independence economy.
President Sata who led scores of mourners in bidding farewell to the late National Democratic Focus leader said Zambians should remember Mr Mwila as a pride to the country both as a politician and an entrepreneur.
Mr Sata has since called on Zambians to mourn Mr Mwila who died at the age of 70 with respect and dignity.
Mr Sata said it was important to remember Mr Mwila fondly known as BY, as a respectable individual, who deserved to be laid to rest in a dignified manner.
“After receiving the news of his death, I spent time reflecting on his life. Mr Mwila was a steadfast compatriot, one who committed his life to the betterment of Zambia. He played a recognisable role and in a positive way,” he said
“As we bid farewell, we should mourn him in a dignified and respectable manner. This is time to come together and ask God to unite the family and make them strong. Go well BY, go well,” he said.
Mr Mwila who died in South Africa on Saturday has been put to rest at Leopard Hill Memorial Park.
And Veteran politician Vernon Mwanga said that the late Mr Mwila a founding member of the Movement for Multi Party Democracy MMD viewed the one party system under the UNIP government as a hindrance to the economic development of the country.
Mr. Mwaanga recalled that during his last days of his life, Mr Mwila often reminded Zambians regardless of political differences that the country was for all and greater than the citizenry.
Vernon Mwaanga said Mr Mwila was a political leader who joined others in fighting for the reintroduction of multi-party politics in 1991.
Mr Mwaanga said when he was appointed as Defence Minister in the late President Frederick Chiluba’s administration, he prioritised the equipping of the security wings to enable them participate in United Nations (UN) peace-keeping missions abroad and was glad that he managed to achieve this goal.
He said Mr Mwila who later formed the Zambia Republican Party, was a politician who spoke his mind.
“He was a politician who did not fear to be at loggerheads with others, as long as he knew that what he was saying was the truth. He believed in a Zambia that was better for everyone and he wanted to see this country prosper,” he said.
Mr Mwila’s wife, Margaret, thanked the Government for honouring her husband with a State funeral.
Speaking through Elizabeth Mulobeka, Mrs Mwila described her husband as a selfless person, who believed in sharing and caring for others.
“He was a father, a grandfather and dear husband. I’ll miss him. And I want to thank the Government for honouring him with a State funeral and three-days of national mourning,” she said.
Prominent among the mourners wwas Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Katanga Province Governor, Moses Katumbi, former First Ladies, Maureen Mwanawasa and Thandiwe Banda and Former President Rupiah Banda who after the church service walked hand-hand with President Sata before body viewing conducted at the entrance of the church.
Others were Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini, Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda, Secretary to the Cabinet Rowland Msiska, Service Chiefs, members of the diplomatic corps, and traditional leaders.
Opposition leaders Hakainde Hichilema for UNPD and his MMD counterpart, Nevers Mumba, were also present.
Mulale muchibote chamfumu ba Mwila wesu.Will surely miss you.
I’m sure our friends at Zambia watchd.o.g are licking their wounds after seeing Sata in public and appearing strong.Too much for a dying man i guess.These politics wina azakafunta.
we are not talkin abt zwd here we are tokn abt putin by to eternal rest not the watchdodg rubbish.you have neva seen a dead man walking?
The WD and it’s sympathisers are so pathetic that even hating them is a big waste of time. They deserve prayers a repentance for their evil utterances.
Sata was given Red Bull energy drink hence the energy he had to attend the funeral
Baiche you like negativity, it is not good for you. Bring some light into your bleak thoughts! Sata Reigns!
BY farewell. Like HE Sata has rightly said, you played your part in Zambian politics. Your role in the MMD helped to usher in a new crop of leaders in our country. Like the say heroes come heroes go. RIP. I am the right Nostradamus. The one with an American flag is not. He’s been hanging to the name for sometime, now I am claiming it. Watch out for my wise comments.
Chief Katele Kalumba was not mentioned among the dignitaries or was member of traditional leaders?
Kwaliba president ufisama ku bantu imwe baffikala?what are castigating the ZWD for?nankwe paka embassy park
Those thinking SATA is strong. wait for the week to end. U will hear he has secretly fled Zambia for medical treatment in India.
…and Former President Rupiah Banda who after the church service walked hand-hand with President Sata before body viewing conducted at the entrance of the church…
Hmmm…
I am scared whenever I see a coffin.
It’s normal am afraid to see a dead body, i have never seen any only in the movies.
@Munkonge & Cindy, both of what you guys experience is normal. Death was unleashed onto us by Adam & Eve. We’ve always known and witnessed it but will just NEVER get used to it. RIP Ba Mwila.
We fear because we do not understand. There is nothing to fear if you understand that life is eternal.
You may fear because you haven’t dead before.
Some are living a 3rd/ 4th life after reincarnation. Sata I thin he is his 2nd.
Glad that Sata attended.I bet rumours would have gone like wild fire that he is sick or in India if he failed to.Rest in peace mr mwila.You are a true son of the Zambian soil.
What Cycle Mata did to BY (MHSRIP)…..cannot pass without comment.
Cycle Mata is Hypocrite and a Parasite who Uses and Abuses his pipo.
Your comment is uncalled for here. Wonder what your age is, but your reasoning is childish to say the least. The dead cannot talk and you cannot continue highlighting their weak sides. Hence we only reflect on the positive sides. What would be the point to dwell on the person’s weak or bad sides at his funeral.
John. You can tell what’s in some chaps head by their name. His name is BS. Short for Bu.. S..t
@John go back to skool. Its clear u cannot comprehend any word written in english. I dont have time 4u or your kind. U must have gone to the same skool with Cycle Mata.
It was good to see all these politicians unite to mourn their departed colleague. How wish they could as well unite on progressive developmental issues!
It was good to see all these politicians unite to mourn their departed colleague. How I wish they could as well unite on progressive developmental issues!
True – but how can you be united with people like Satan. He was only well behaved temporarily for a very short time after taking tranquiers! Soon after the funeral he went back to his chaotic way of doing things. In fact he was partly responsible for BY’s premature death so he was feeling guilt too.
By the way, where was KK?
Dear Bashi Mwila
Your principles and courage in the face of the trials that we have gone through as a people will always be admired. The advice that you used to give me whatever you had an opportunity to do so will forever be with me.
May your soul rest in peace
RIP BY, my God life is short mwe, knows no african, white , Lozi, Bemba Ngoni or Tonga, i hope people take time to make peace.Nice to see you sir even if the moment is not jovial.
RB and Sata hand in hand? Now there’s a sight to behold! How long’s the truce?
Continue fighting while the they drinking whisky together and laugh you.
That’s politics my friend. Sata and RB have been friends from since you were born, and will be. This purported fight against corruption is simply a smoke screen.
YOUR BIG MOUTH WILL PUT YOU IN TROUBLE. WHAT’S WRONG WITH SATA TO BE TOGETHER WITH RB?
CANT U SEE THAT THEY WERE ATTENDING A FUNURAL YOU BLIND ……..
RB is a cool civilised and forgiving guy,but problem is the other character.i think you know him not so?
That’s the GAME of politics my dears !!
I hope he learned a lesson to refrain from victimising his political opponents when alive. Its useless apologising to a dead body. Ukwa, learn to forgive and move on
Mbala mafia RIP
Iwe naiwe!! B.Y was not a “Mbala Mafya” but one of the “Luapula Boys”!!! RIP yama
BY, te mbala mafia iwe chikkalah,BY ali mwina luapula
YAMA BY – Humes E&D< Micheals Minestone Wade Adams tatwakalabe. Mwaya lelo pafwabantu pashala bantu. I recall u driving me and saying fight hard in life and challenge governments to supply you with demands because you have enough money to buy and the govt has not provided that is better than being a parasite on the state. RIP
pafwa bantu…..
Bashikulu ba Sata please eulogise me while Iam alive. These praises that come at the gravesite when insults were the order of the day while I was alive are as empty as good promises made by the devil.
Czar, my thought exactly. If they could spend one hour exhausting their brains on developmental issues more, than talking back to one another, Zambia would be a better place. We are called peace loving for nothing really. BY rest in peace. You played your part, fought a good fight…ichalo lifupa tata.
thats what we call scattering roses wen someone is gone while he was alive you were busy insulting him and today you want to deceive the masses that you loved him.these politicians are busy insulting one another in the newspapers and tvs and radios and wishing one another dead and today at the demise of one you champion words of eulogies.HYPOCRITE
It’s good to see these chaps together though they’re the same! MYSRIP BY!
BY your were our pillar in MMD I remember how you united us, provincial chairmen. Your house was open to every body.RIP Boss
Ati ‘nashala neka party’. Sata wished this man ill
But he did remain alone didn’t he?
All politicians are the same. Only funerals unity them.
good one
Wonders will never cease in this world. Learn to live together you chaps (politicians) as What matters in the final analysis is your relationship to God and to your neighbour ( brothers and sisters). Ba Sata change course and embrace all and stop spitting that venom on your tonghue. You speak ill of your colleagues too much. Remember this, ” Whatever you did to the little ones of mine, you did it to me.” He who has ears let them listen! Nevertheless, thanks for attending the funeral rather than the 7th inugration across the Zambezi.
Wonders will never cease in this world. Learn to live together you chaps (politicians) as What matters in the final analysis is your relationship to God and to your neighbour ( brothers and sisters). Ba Sata change course and embrace all and stop spitting that venom on your tonghue. You speak ill of your colleagues too much. Remember this, ” Whatever you did to the little ones of mine, you did it to me.” He who has ears let them listen! Nevertheless, thanks for attending the funeral rather than the 7th inugration across the Zambezi of Sekuru.
@Buffalo Soldier, @ school u acquire knowledge but u also need wisdom to make sound judgement. Eulogy is given so that you & I,the living, could learning something… we have to be care with many politicians just imagine Sata & Rupia walking hand-hand. We do not know how they relate OUTSIDE politics. Any way, may BY Mwila Rest In Peace.
The atmosphere of peacefulness is what stood out for me. That is Zambian indeed. BY, rest in peace mwana wabulongo.
Chi Sata. Embassy Park is waiting for you
And you?
Hebrews 9:27…
A pit latrine is ready for your corpse
@dreanliner mwalaponokwa, sata will live on. whats wrong with sata and RB walking hand in hand. most of you bloggers are far from reality, thinking that one day RB will be behind bars. he has invested for his twins who will go to expensive schools and universities while your kids will be at olofeya, community schools then will do plumbing at some trade school. dont hate the player but hate the game. sata for 2016.
and you chigwele is waiting
You its Chingwere
By virtue of the elective office of the Presidency, the President has power vested in him by 13m Zambians,including those that didn’t vote for him.
So his voice if used well and wisely has the power to unite, to forge on, to heal, to soothe and inspire an entire nation. But if used to disparage, humiliate, to cajole, and to provoke, his voice has got power to destroy and divide a nation along ethnic, religious and economic lines.
Sata should be encouraged to speak like he spoke at BY’s funeral yesterday. The Presidency has power of the people, so let him and his handlers avoid loose talk that tend to bring tension rather than peace.
A culture of deceit shall always hover above the Zambian sky. Yet Ben Mwila was hounded to extreme levels ever since the days days of Chiluba’s 3rd-Term bid. The DEC, as the restructured tools of torture, also pounced on Mrs. Mwila just to inflict psychological punish on BY.
The pattern is such that if Benjamin Mwila’s fate were to strike on HH, RB, General Miyanda, Mulongoti, Mpombo, the same pre-edited praise songs would have been sang to get the whole Zambia dance to their tunes. Yes, indeed, some people are richly endowed with CROCODILE TEARS.
This is a strange world indeed! A culture of deception (UBUFI, BOZA, KUBEJA) shall always hover above the Zambian sky under the current climate. Yet Ben Mwila was hounded to extreme levels ever since the days of Chiluba’s 3rd-Term bid. BY’s businesses were destroyed. The DEC, having been restructured as tools of torture, also pounced on Mrs. Mwila just to inflict psychological punishment on BY.
The pattern is such that if Benjamin Mwila’s fate were to strike on HH, RB, General Miyanda, Malusa, Mulongoti, Fr. Bwalya, Mpombo, the same pre-edited praise songs would have been sang at funerals to hoodwink the vulnerable Zambians to dance to their tunes. Yes, indeed, some people are richly endowed with CROCODILE TEARS!
Anyone who has notice something? All govt officers on HEMCS’s entourage have hair on their heads and no more bold hair. Nice one..!!!
Bartoseland administrator Afumba to speak to journalists today – ZWD
ARREST THEM PLEASE, ITS BECOMING TOO MUCH. PUSHING THEIR LUCK TOO FAR!!!
MYSRIEP ba BY. We well always remember you for the tremendous work you did for Zambia. Go well son of mother land of Zambia