PRESIDENT Michael Sata yesterday left for South Africa to attend the African National Congress centenary celebrations.
Mr Sata who left in the morning was seen off by Vice-President Guy Scott, Defence Minister Geoffrey Mwamba, Mines Minister Wylbur Simuusa and defence chiefs.
The ANC will on Sunday clock 100 years and Mr Sata is among several leaders invited to attend the centenary celebrations. The president is scheduled to return after the event.
First Republican president, Kenneth Kaunda is happy that he played a major role towards the liberation struggle against apartheid in South Africa.
In a statement released by First secretary for Press at the Zambian mission in South Africa, Patson Chilemba, Dr Kaunda has noted that the centenary celebrations of the African National Congress (ANC) were a great part of African history.
Dr Kaunda is in South Africa to attend the 100 years of existence of the ANC at the invitation of the South African government together with President Michael Sata.
Dr Kaunda’s administration hosted the ANC headquarters at the height of the liberation struggle.
He was speaking to journalists on arrival at Bloemfontein Airport yesterday where he said he was grateful for having been invited and was looking forward to being part of the celebrations.
And Dr Kaunda said Africa needed a strong South Africa politically, economically and health-wise, especially in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
He said Africa was looking forward to a strong South Africa that would lead the struggle, just like during the freedom liberation struggle.
“I feel very strong, very happy, continue to build South Africa. We need to grow, to grow fast,” he said.
Upon arrival in South Africa, Dr Kaunda was accorded VIP treatment and driven by police escort to a villa in Bloemfontein’s Woodland Hill.
Dr Kaunda is among several eminent personalities who have been invited for the celebrations.
Mr Chilemba said Mr Sata was also being awaited in Bloemfontein, and would be among several Heads of State who would attend the celebrations.
South Africa, particularly Bloemfontein, has been a hive of activity as the city prepares to host celebrations of the oldest political party in Africa which has graced the likes of Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo and others.
[Times of Zambia]
YEAH THAT’S RIGHT….ZAMBIA HELPED S.A GAIN POWER RODGER THAT
:d bravo supa ken
saving moneyÂ
@3, simeza:
If sata didn’t go you will be the same people accusing him of being frail and sickly—-UPND lunatics, you should really consider enrolling in the school of political-realism and get schooled in opposition politics—-you are soooooo! allover the map—-what do you guys stand for?!—I am now beginning to think Chipimo talks more sense and might become President b4 your over-glorified saint, HH ever becomes even a Minister—-God have mercy!!!!
How come it’s all about KK nothing on Sata except that he travelled yesterday. Is he ok?
He usually is not camera shy and loves the mics.
Lets see how many quarrels he ignites, viva MCS, viva loud mouth!
‘The president is scheduled to return after the event’. Something wrong about this sentence? Yes.
The hypocricy in KK and Zambians in general sucks. They celebrate the founding of the ANC yet condemn King Lewanika as a sell out without realising he was an ANC founder president and even Mandela honoured him by naming his first born son, Makgadi Lewanika after King Lewanika. Today KK wants to take credit for Lewanika’s creation, this stinks.
Good to see a liberation party clock 100yrs. Where the hell is UNIP?
@9 Phly C. ANC has survived this long because it is an institutionalised party that has a philosophy and ideology. Big personalities have come and gone in the ANC. But because the ANC is an institution that is not dependent on an individual; it has been able to survive this long. UNIP may have started with the same nationalist motivations as ANC however UNIP weakeness was that it became a personal vehicle for Kaunda’s political ambitions. UNIP became Kaunda. UNIP members had allegiance not to ‘their’ party but to the person of Kaunda. And once Kaunda was out of power there was nothing to hold the membership together as UNIP was not an institution with defined core values. A party can only survive if it is not arranged around a personality. PF will also die with Sata.
UNIP was tested and failed. ANC is yet to be tested. So lets not sing praises for ANC so early. This is Africa
sATA CANT ATTEND ANY SUCH HIGH CARIBER EVENTS ALONE. OTHER WISE HE MAY NOT KNOW HOW TO CONDUCT HIMSELF. HE MAY END UP INSULTING HISCOLLIGUES AT THE MEETING. CANT YOU GUYS SEE THAT OUR PRESIDENT CANT THINGS. ITSEITHER KAUNDA OR VEEP.SATAN S JUST A SHODOW BANE. KAUNDA IS BAVKIN THE MAKING. KK GOON AS LONDG AS YOU WONT TEACH MC TO SPEACK STUP POEPLE, STUPICOUNTRY AND MANY MORE. ONE DAY GUYS BA SATA WILL SAY ONE ZAMBIA ONENATION .MMMMMMMMMMMMMM DONCHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
KK deserves all the rights to attend any African gathering because of what he did to mother land Africa.
Satan has gone for medical check up..period!!
Sata(n) has not been mentioned or heard of here in SA. Are you guys sure he is here :D
Pundits who criticized RB’s travels have now gone to voice mail. Landeni tumfwe. You are yet to see Sata equate the same number of travels RB made because presidential travels are done in the course of duty and not by choice. Talk about limiting delegation entourage.
leave Sata alone imwebafikala ba upnd.. u are bitter coz hh is not president.