Friday, March 29, 2024

I’m personally proud that our transfer of power has been smooth and peaceful-President Lungu

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Outgoing Zambia President Edgar Lungu has said that he is personally proud that the transfer of power has been smooth, adding to the enduring legacy as a democratic country, which started with the founding president, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, in 1991.

In a farewell statement to Zambians, President Lungu said that Zambians must all be happy that even after a highly contested election on August 12, it is the Zambian people who won; it is peace and unity that triumphed.

The president said that leaves office with a sense of pride, proud of the many achievements that his government scored in the past 10 years under the leadership of the party’s founding father President Michael Sata, and when he took over the reins.

“Most of these achievements are cast in concrete and cannot be erased now or in the near future. Posterity will look at the infrastructure we have built across the country with gratitude. That is a legacy we leave with you, ” the president said.

Below is the full statement

One of the Mini Hospitals built by the Patriotic Front across the country
One of the Mini Hospitals built by the Patriotic Front across the country

Fellow citizens,

Tomorrow the President-elect Mr Hakainde Hichilema will be sworn in as our seventh Republican President.

This is a momentous occasion for our country, and we all must be proud for letting the torch of our democracy to shine for the world to see.

We must all be happy that even after a highly contested election on August 12, it is the Zambian people who won; it is peace and unity that triumphed.

I’m personally proud that our transfer of power has been smooth; adding to our enduring legacy as a democratic country, which started with our founding president, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, in 1991.

Zambia, tomorrow you welcome your new President and open a new chapter for the country, and my prayer is that this new chapter will be filled with hope and fulfill the aspirations of all citizens, building on the foundation we laid.

Tomorrow I leave office with a sense of pride – proud of the many achievements that my government scored in the past 10 years under the leadership of our President Michael Sata, and when I took over the reins.

Most of these achievements are cast in concrete and cannot be erased now or in the near future. Posterity will look at the infrastructure we have built across the country with gratitude. That is a legacy we leave with you.

Today I look back at our 10 years in office with satisfaction, our failures notwithstanding. Yes, there are things we could have done better, but I’m happy that in many aspects, we leave behind a better country.

And my heart is filled with a deep sense of gratitude to the Zambian people who entrusted us with the huge and honourable responsibility to administer the affairs of this country. I took this as a God-given mandate and He be the best and fairest, judge.

My fellow citizens, thank you and God bless our great nation.

48 COMMENTS

    • Never again should Zambia have a President like Lungu. He was dictatorial to the core. Can the killers of Mapenzi, Vespers , Frank Mugala and others now be brought to book in the name of justice please

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  1. Thank you sir for all your work and development work that has been brought to Zambia. However, your legacy is not complete just with Infrastracture, you will be remembered for other things among them caderism, divisive nature of your government, corruption (wheelbarrows, ambulaces, expired medicines), unexplained factors(burning of markets, gassing) , mistreatment of political opponents(stopping opponents from campaigning), innocent lives lost(many lives, that you did not recognize until your party member Kungo(RIP) was killed).
    Although, the above are NOT “cast in concrete”, they are cast in history and will never be erased. YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR the aforementioned not just for the concrete. You will be remembered as one who almost ruled the country as dictator while exhibiting…

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  2. Taking pride in overpriced infrastructure projects?…. not to mention other deals which will be revealed in the next few months, leaving the country so much indebted!

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  3. Go, go, go….like yesterday! Worst president Zambia ha ever had. Your PF turned into a criminal organization and not a political party.

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  4. We are proud of you too. In many areas you nailed it.
    Sorry you didn’t see coming but all is well. Real Zambians will judge you for all the goddies you brought to Zambia.
    What a great leader! We needed you to hammer another 5years but you how it is with this democracy.

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  5. You are the worst president…….

    That legacy cast in concrete you leave , anyone can do that with borrowed money……..

    even my garden maintainer back home, Solomon.

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  6. WAS THERE AN OPTION ?
    WITH SUCH A HUGE LOSS
    JUST SAYING ??
    I DO BELIEVE IN GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE
    BUT DOESNT WARRANT IT IN THIS CASE

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  7. You are proud of the rampant corruption? Of the continuous devaluation of the Kwacha? Of your son stealing nine farms in Kanakantapa? Of the selling out of the country to the Chinese? Do you really want me to go on? The worst president Africa has ever had – that is an achievement. NOT!

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  8. How arrogant talking about concrete infrastructure development. It clearly shows how misguided you were as president about what is considered as economic development. Economic development is measured by numbers of jobs you have created and sustained coupled with quality education and affordable health national health care system. Creating jobs translates into poverty reduction, low cost of living and improved quality of life for all. Imishelemuko iyo ba Lungu wesu awe nakalyafye tayakapwishe insala. By the way, that is tax payers money not yours.

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  9. Please close the door behind you…you presided over a very corrupt lawless govt and overpriced infrastructure as shown in the picture. And please stop being proud of what you are supposed to do when you lose elections; you lose elections and you leave office simple as that.

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  10. Please Edgar dont come back…let’s see if your friend Zingiman and Findlay will pick up your calls now….really laughable!!

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  11. We remember your cader thugs smashing radio stations hosting opposition or pulling the power supply from radio stations…..

    Also your caders beating up and arresting citizens peacfully protesting corruption…

    We remember how we became the laughing stock of the world when it was revealed you paid $42 million for 42 fire trucks that should have cost $18 million…

    Least we forget , we remember the 50 innocent lives lynched and burnt to death by irate mobs because you gassed your own citizens………

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  12. “When these efforts to support democracy do not work and fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms are violated, the United States can and does apply visa restrictions, travel bans and financial sanctions. We apply these measures because we are serious about our commitment to human rights and democratic principles. We will hold accountable any individuals who promote violence, undermine electoral processes, engage in fraudulent or corrupt behavior, or otherwise violate democratic rights and the foundations of free elections.”

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  13. Thanks for leaving us 26 billion USD in the hole, job well done…. It will take 50 yrs to pay it back…..

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  14. Over priced projects and gwagu. Cadres, thieving ministers etc – “Alebwelepo pa mpando” kikiki!!!! Just thinking aloud.
    But what a disaster of a former president.

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  15. Just consider what you did to your successor: you arrested him FIFTEEN times, you put him in jail for FOUR MONTHS, you TEARGASSED him repeatedly, you blocked his campaign rallies, you threatened him multiple times, you insulted him, etc. What a hypocritical, dishonest, arrogant and just plain BAD president you were!

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  16. The outgoing President really lowered the standards, ZNBC was just showing him and his party only, all others excluded

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  17. “Zambia, tomorrow you welcome your new President and open a new chapter for the country, and my prayer is that this new chapter will be filled with hope and fulfill the aspirations of all citizens, building on the foundation we laid.” The foundation of corruption, hate and cadreism. No Sir, Zambians let you know in full force that they did not like your foundation. Your impunity was appalling.
    You, Sir, have also used the name of God in vain. You are so full of hate for your fellow human being that no prayer can cleanse you.

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  18. Mind how you go Edigar , enjoy the millions you stole from the people of Zambia.A country where the people are so poor,80% still live below the Poverty line .
    Enjoy the money you stole from
    The $1.3 Billion Lusaka Ndola dual carriageway
    The $1 million Dollar each Fire Tenders
    The Social cash money
    The Overpriced Ambulances
    The Fake expired Honeybee medicines
    The $130 million Presidential Jet
    And all your Overpriced Corruptly Procured Chinese Infrastructure projects

    Enjoy,but remember to watch your back ,because there’s No such thing as a perfect Crime

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  19. The one taking over is equally not an angel. He faces the same challenges his colleague encountered. I hope his triumphant entry into power is not quickly met with ‘crucify him ‘.

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  20. We have tolerated this nonsense for too long its like there were none of their nasty campaign tactics, bogus covid-19 stats whilst he carried on shamelessly campaigning abusing GRZ resources and he has the audacity to say he is proud.

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  21. Never trust a politician. Be it ECL or HH. Don’t close your eyes when dealing with HH like we did with ECL. If we do, he might even turn out worse. So faka pressure from the beginning to keep him working like our servant

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  22. How come Edgar Lungu did not mention the huge public debt and the infamous Euroband default are also part of his legacy?

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  23. Now we need you to transfer back the money you stole in a smooth and peaceful manner… then apart from yourself, we will all be completely proud of you.

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  24. What is baffling about this guy is how low he set his leadership bar. He wanted to pummel the country back to the intolerant East European model of leadership in the 21st Century. That said, that’s all he knew. All the best and thanks for giving us a taste of how low it can get.

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  25. Icaume pabaume.
    Job well done. You gave Zambia alot of handsone touches. But as it were, you can’t please every soul. Some niggaz hated you with passion, naturally.
    You developed Zambia in all areas. You can only get praises in Zambia when you die but for us, job well done. On conceding, job well done. Fight against Covid-19, job well done; infrastructure development, job well done. The dollar @ K15, job well done. Security and peace job well done. Agriculture, job well done. Fight against corruption, job well done. Etc, job well done.

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  26. His Excellency, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, has been gracious and magnanimous in defeat by allowing for a peaceful transfer of power. A few naysayers may demean him,but many Zambians will live to remember the many good things he did. Despite the UPND aligned civil servants (PACOs and DACOs) hell bent on undermining your government’s direct farm input support programme from which they enriched themselves, ECL and the PF have left behind a country that has had bumper harvests and is food secure in the region. Many Zambians will live to remember the PF government’s boldness in ending the country’s energy deficit by increasing power generation capacity from 1, 200 to over 3, 000 MW ending load-shedding and laying a strong foundation for increased industrial productivity and growth. Many…

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  27. … Zambians will not forget the massive road infrastructure developments that PF have brought about, the many security sector houses, schools, universities, hospitals and clinics that they constructed and upgraded. If the incoming UPND government succeeds in employing more Zambians it will be because the PF laid a strong foundation for them to be able to do so. No well meaning Zambian can fail to acknowledge the PF government’s success story in infrastructure development. It remains to be seen how the UPND government will do things better. Many well meaning Zambians will live to remember the PF government’s efforts in increasing the number of vulnerable households that are today on Social Cash Transfer. It remains to be seen how a UPND government that will be drawing its financing…

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  28. … from the capitalist oriented Bretton Woods institutions will build on this strong legacy of being pro-poor. When ECZ announced the final results of the Presidential elections and it became known ECL had lost the elections, an elderly woman on Social Cash Transfer in Mbala fell to the ground wailing. Between sobs, she shared with onlookers how she had lost a helper in Edgar Lungu’s PF government. Her words were, “iye batata ba Lungu baya nomba uwalansunga nani? (translated as “the father of the nation is now gone, who will take care of me?”). The increased number of people on Social Cash Transfer was a great achievement to many vulnerable Zambians for the PF government. There are countless examples of the PF governments’s achievements. We can therefore not forget to applaud…

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  29. Really painful M.Lungu if only you had kept those carders in the hook. You would have been given another 5years on a plater.
    Now Davis Let the Dogs out in the end letting you down Pf has also gone out of govt due to mismanagement of the economy and corruption.

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  30. Yes appointing an id…….iot like Bowman Lusambo as Minister, useless Lungu. Where are your daughter and wife? Esther Lungu Police Post. Edgar Lungu Shopping mall. You are a disgrace
    PF achievements:
    Purchase of Presidential Jet worth millions of dollars in the name of ZAF
    1. Associating with Findly (a crock)
    2. Sending your wife to collect firefighting trucks with an entourage of more than 30 persons
    3. Naming Government property after yourself and your wife
    4. Making donations bought using public funds to institutions etc
    5. Lungus flying around the country to places where you had Ministers representing you

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  31. #37 @Razor
    Why Chawama? He can only go to chawama at his choice the man has been elevated to another level and he will never be the same. So mu broyher take heart abd heal your hatred for the man. He has had his time and now he has been retired and that’s life we move on.

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  32. #37 @Razor
    Why Chawama? He can only go to chawama at his choice the man has been elevated to another level and he will never be the same. So my
    broyher take heart and heal your hatred for the man. He has had his time and now he has been retired and that’s life we move on.

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  33. The only positive thing I can ever say since you forcefully took over the pf government when Sata died is that ” I am proud for once, you did not put yourself first but the needs of the nation”. Thanks for this one good gesture ECL. But I am not happy about the numerous murders convicted purdons??????????

  34. Yes Indeed Mr. President, yours is a legacy of great infrastructure development at a scale never witnessed in the history of Zambia before. Very few will remember you for the few wrongs you committed sir. If I can count the few mistakes that you committed, they will round up to two.

  35. UPND supporters try to be gracious. Those who support PF have been quiet and wishing HH well but you people you have hatred such that you will make HH’s rule difficulty because of what you will be demading. UPND cadres murdered two PF cadres in lusaka and a PF leader in Solwezi but you want to appear like saints. The corruption people talk about in Zambia, the major one that affects citizens is the corruption in the civil service through procurements and travelling allowances. This is done by most civil servants regardless of their political affliation. Most of you, have civil servants friends and relatives who have acquired properties that their salaries in the past 20 years can’t support but you are here calling ECL corrupt as if you are saints. Please move on.

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  36. Go well ECL. Thanks for your time and effort. The good things we will remember and cherish and the bad things we will correct. Thank you so much. God bless you!

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