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Caesar Zvayi recently in LUSAKA, Zambia
THE greatest tribute that Zambians can give their late fifth republican president Cde Michael Chilufya Sata is to continue with his great works and ensure that they speak to future generations, President Mugabe said yesterday.When he was announced as the next speaker, rapturous applause rang out throughout the Heroes Stadium prompting President Mugabe to pump his fist into the air as he walked to the podium, the fist being the slogan Zanu-PF shared with Zambia’s ruling Patriotic Front which is on record saying its slogan was inspired by President Mugabe and Zanu-PF.
Speaking in his capacity as chairperson of Sadc to thousands of mourners who packed the Heroes Stadium, President Mugabe implored Zambians to remember that they were one nation despite any tribal, religious or political differences they may have saying that was the legacy Cde Sata had left, a legacy he carried over from the founding father of the nation Dr Kenneth Kaunda who led Zambia to independence in 1964.
‘’I want to say we come in tears, the tears represent Zimbabweans, the tears represent Sadc. I am chairman of Sadc now so I speak for these two (Zimbabwe and Sadc), and I want to say the man we have here is a great man.
“He was a man of the people, let him live in our memory, let him live in our hearts. Let the buildings speak of him, let the streets speak of him,’’ President Mugabe said.
He implored journalists to correctly capture Cde Sata’s legacy.
“And you journalists, I plead, write about him, the truth about this man of Africa. The truth about him, the truth was he was a man of the people. A man of the people of Zambia, a man of the people of Africa. Good bye Michael Chilufya Sata, my Siamese twin.’’
The President chronicled how he had struck a good working relationship with Cde Sata culminating in the launch of the Chirundu One Stop Border Post, and the co-hosting of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation Conference by Zimbabwe and Zambia.
“He used to call me sekuru. ‘Sekuru, sekuru’ each time. We were together at the African Union, that is the last time I saw him and we talked about joint ventures, Zambia-Zimbabwe. Joint ventures that would unite our people, unite our countries, unite our governments and unite our parties.’’
The President revealed that out of that partnership, Zimbabwe and Zambia were exploring other areas of co-operation on the Zambezi like hydro-electric power projects that they hoped would cascade to the rest of the region.
Cde Sata was buried at the Embassy Park Grounds where his predecessors Dr Fredrick Chiluba and Dr Levy Mwanawasa were also buried.
Earlier mourners had packed the capital city’s 60,000-seater Heroes Stadium for a farewell requiem mass in the Catholic tradition.
Cde Sata’s children, son Gerald and his sister Sonia gave their father a moving send off with a rendition of Luther Vandross’ classic Dance With My Father.
Gripped by emotion, mourners dressed in black or outfits bearing the late president’s portrait, openly wept on the terraces as the Sata siblings sang.
Cde Sata succumbed to an undisclosed ailment while receiving treatment at a London hospital.
He was 77.
President Mugabe and his delegation that included First Lady Cde Grace Mugabe, foreign affairs minister Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and National Assembly speaker Cde Jacob Mudenda, returned home last night.
They were received at Harare International Airport by Vice-President Joice Mujuru, Senior Minister of State Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo,
Defence Minister Dr Sydney Sekeramayi, chief secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda, service chiefs and other senior government officials.
Londile Moyo
Bongani Ndlovu