United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema says no-one can take away the role late former President Frederick Chiluba played in restoring multi-partism in Zambia.
Mr Hichilema spoke shortly after visiting the funeral house in Kabulonga yesterday.
“We can’t take away the fact that he led Zambia into multi-partism which we are trying to develop,” he said.
Mr Hichilema said Dr Chiluba played a critical role in the transition from one party state to multi-partism.
“In politics, we have different opinions but there is no difference of opinions in death. Whatever differences we have we should unite,” he said.
Mr Hichilema urged Zambians to desist from focusing on judging DrChiluba because God is the only one who will judge people.
“It’s very unfortunate and we ask the family to accept our sincere condolences, and wish them strength. He was my next door neighbour but I didn’t hear of his illness. I left for my programmes only to be told that he had passed on,” he said.
Mr Hichilema said Dr. Chiluba did what he could for the people of Zambia during his tenure of office.
Former Minister of Finance and National Planning Katele Kalumba said people may have different beliefs and conflicting emotions about Dr Chiluba but that this should not divide them.
“Let us remember that death is an equaliser because it can happen to anyone and because it can happen to anyone…it helps us to reconcile ourselves to our conflicting emotions and to realise that every human being at one time has to die whether they were considered evil or angels,” Dr Kalumba said.
He said a dead man has no opportunity to make his case to the people to convince them on his positive virtues.
“The honourable thing for Zambians is to forgive and forget. If Dr Chiluba hurt anybody, my prayer to Zambians is please forgive him and if he pleased anybody, my prayer to Zambians is please tell his story and remember him,” Dr Kalumba said.
He said Dr Chiluba served the country within the limits of the talents that God gave him.
“So my prayer is that we should try and remember some of the good things that Frederick Jacob Titus Chiluba did for Zambians.” Dr Kalumba said.
“As someone who served under him for 10 years …as someone who persuaded me to come back home to join the fight for multi-party democracy and as someone who joined in at the Garden House Motel together with everyone and as someone together with Donald Chanda who advised him of his own strategy at that meeting, I can only feel a deep sense of loss because a part of my own personal history that I treasure most has been lost.”
Dr Kalumba, who is also former MMD national secretary and Chiengi Member of Parliament, added: “He has gone to rest and to answer the Lord’s call, let one positive grain of seed grow in the hearts of a thousand stars, young men and women who believe that democracy must never die.”
And MMD Luapula Province chairman Emmanuel Chungu said that the province has been robbed of a gallant son of the soil.
“We are very saddened by his death. We have lost the knowledge he has accrued as a father and as a politician. As a party we relied so much on his guidance. His demise is not only a loss to us as a party and people of Luapula but for the nation at large,” Mr Chungu said.
Former First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa said it is a sad moment for Zambia.
She said it is devastating for a country to lose two leaders concurrently.
Mrs Mwanawasa said as a person who ruled Zambia for ten years, Dr Chiluba achieved a lot for the country which could not be described in minutes.
Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) president Edith Nawakwi has described the late former President Frederick Chiluba as a statesman who sacrificed to turn Zambia into a democratic nation.
She also said Dr Chiluba gave the Zambian people hope by empowering them with houses, giving them hope for the future.
“He was a colleague and friend who gave us counsel. He sacrificed to turn Zambia into what it is today. His self-determination and belief as a head of state gave a solid foundation of a democratic dispensation in Zambia,” she said.
She said Zambians are devastated because it is hardly two years since the death of President Mwanawasa.
Ms Nawakwi said it is difficult for President Banda, who has seen the passing on of two Presidents.
She also said DrChiluba contributed to brokering peace in the region.
Ms Nawakwi said without Zambia turning into a democratic nation, there would have been a crisis in the region.
“He worked hard for Angola to attain peace and stability. Lusaka saw the birth of the future of Angola,” she said.
She described Dr Chiluba as a kind and caring person who visited the sick.
And National Restoration Party (NAREP) president Elias Chipimo said the legacy many people will remember Dr Chiluba for is having been at the helm of the drive of multi-partism.
“We owe our gratitude to the role he played to bring about multi-party politics,” he said.
MrChipimo said D rChiluba also spear-headed economic drive.
“I remember the late former President saying that he ate Structural Adjustment Programme in the morning, afternoon, and evening. He made decisions that he thought were right,” he said.
“People should judge his legacy based on the many achievements that he recorded. I ask that during this period of mourning, people should reflect with sober minds because none of us is without fault,” he said.
And former vice-president Enoch Kavindele also commended DrChiluba for turning round Zambia’s economy when he took over in 1991.
“The economy was right at the bottom, people had to queue to buy mealie meal and other goods, but he changed that within a short period of time. The developments you see now are as a result of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). He believed that once Zambia’s debt was written off, the country would have more resources to develop,” he said.
Mr Kavindele also said Dr Chiluba was instrumental in bringing peace to the region citing an example of the Angola peace agreement which was signed in Zambia.
He said Dr Chiluba was also involved in resolving conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi during civil wars.
