ZAMBIA put its founding President Kenneth Kaunda to rest on a cloudy, windy afternoon at the Presidential Burial Site otherwise called Embassy Park in Lusaka yesterday.
However, Dr Kaunda’s larger than life legacy was immortalised in the declaration of his birthday – April 28 – as an annual holiday for the southern African nation.
This announcement made yesterday by President Edgar Lungu is of great significance because it will serve to keep Dr Kaunda’s memory alive.
It will serve to remind the nation about a man who defied the odds and was too big to fit in one particular description.
Dr Kaunda, 97, died on June 17, 2021 at Maina Soko Medical Centre where he had been admitted.
The founding President ruled Zambia from 1964 to 1991, after which he willingly handled over after losing the elections and became active in fighting against HIV/AIDS, among his other post-presidency commitments.
As messages of condolences and eulogies were written and read out in his honour, it was not possible for any speaker to fit Dr Kaunda’s complex and multifaceted character into one category; be it in the freedom struggle locally or regionally; in promoting peace, unity, fairness and justice; in being a President or Pan-Africanist; in being a teacher, musician or sportsman; in business, agriculture or in mentoring the youth; Dr Kaunda was more than what could be said about him.
Perhaps this is what contemporary political leaders can learn from, that when they step forward to serve, their commitment should be to the people rather than themselves.
They should ask themselves what legacy they want to leave behind once they are no longer on the political arena.
Will they be judged for their actions or will they be remembered for their humility, humanism and care for others?
The goof thing is that the litmus test for the politicians is just a few weeks away when the country holds general elections on August 12.
This is where people will know which political leaders will emulate Dr Kaunda by promoting peace, unity and oneness, and which ones will go against the first President’s memory by fanning violence.
Dr Kaunda’s legacy should also inspire young people to be patriotic to their country.
He himself was young and he came from a humble background in the village.
But that did not stop him from becoming a great influence in and beyond Zambia.
Young people should realise that regardless of background, destiny favours those who prepare for it.
Rather than keep grumbling about how hard the times are, the youths should step forward to be counted.
They should respond positively to empowerment programmes and aim at taking Zambia to attain economic freedom just like Dr Kaunda sacrificed for political freedom.
The young people should desist from being used to destroy society by sowing seeds of division through violence, but work for a more peaceful and stronger society.
Dr Kaunda’s generation achieved great things, but the youths have the technological knowhow to achieve ever greater goals.
But this will only be possible if they emulate the humility and servant-hood of Dr Kaunda and his generation.