The Levy Mwanawasa Foundation has requested Cabinet to consider declaring August 19th as a Public Holiday in honour of late President Levy Mwanawasa.
19th August, ten years ago is the day that Dr Mwanawasa died in a French military hospital.
Foundation Chairman Dr Moses Banda said the Holiday does not necessarily need to be a full Holiday but could be a working one because of economic considerations.
Dr Banda was speaking at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka during the 10th Memorial Service of the late Dr Mwanawasa.
Dr Banda said declaring a Public Holiday will go a long way in honoring the legacy of the late Dr Mwanawasa.
“As a foundation, we honour his adherence to rule of law. Did Mwanawasa achieve all his goals for Zambia, no he didn’t achieve his goals, did he attempt, yes he did,” Dr Banda said.
He stated that Dr Mwanawasa took one more step into making the nation’s understanding of his ideals and that it is now up to Zambians to endeavor to sustain his legacy.
Former First Lady Dr Maureen Mwanawasa remembered her late husband as man who had a deep sense of justice.
She said for Dr Mwanawasa, Justice was none negotiable.
She has since on Zambians to use the occasion of the 10 years of his death to reignite the spirit of oneness and reconcile which the late Dr Mwanawasa demonstrated when he reconciled with then opposition leader late Michael Sata.
At the same event, President Edgar Lungu said the PF vividly remembers and warmly feels the brotherly handshake between Dr Mwanawasa and Mr Sata and the assistance Dr Mwanawasa rendered to Mr Sata for medical attention.
“For us, that is a sign of a great leader who was selfless and from that we draw from his strength,” Mr Lungu said.
“We should not fail to recognize that Dr Mwanawasa was not a saint but a normal human being and he had a vision for Zambia to be a just society where rule of law prevailed. Dr Mwanawasa envisioned a country with opportunities for the Young and where hunger will be relegated to the history books,” Mr Lungu said.
He continued, “the onus is now on all of us to keep his legacy alive.”
And in interviews shortly after the memorial service, UPND President Hakainde Hichilema said late Dr Mwanawasa, ensured that the rule of law, justice and equity took centre stage.
Mr Hichilema said Dr Mwanawasa vigorously led the fight against corruption and that he will be remembered for massive economic recovery resulting debt reduction.
“These are some of the many leadership inspirations we learnt from the son of the soil and as a country we must ensure that such progressive works are not let down for the greater good of us all,” Mr Hichilema said.
With due respect we got so many public holidays and am sure there are many ways we can honour our late president.
Total madness in as much as Levy Mwanawasa was the best president Zambia has ever had and I doubt he would approve such. Next, the Chilubas and Satas will also start calling for a holiday.
Mwanawasa would have been putting HH in jail.
I understand HH will appear in court again?
Ba Maureen stop embarrassing yourself. What did Levy do for Zambia? Sonta!
Same thought here. …FTJ and Sata foundations will also make the same request. In the we shall end up with 365 holidays. Just honor them on their anniversaries.
Very narcissistic uyuMaureen.
A country should have one holiday named ‘Presidents Day not separate days for individual presidents. So dumb!
ok lets declare 365 holidays in Zambia….maybe all those advocating for holidays will be happy….Mwanawasa holiday for what really….how do they even have the guts to think about such nonsense
We reject this request, and in turn propose the “Presidents Day” as suggested by some bloggers here.
Mwanawasa himself would have been against it of course.
And yes, he was by far the best post UNIP president.
I will avoid comparing him to KK, but KK’s role in liberating Northern Rhodesia can not be overlooked.
No prizes on guessing the worst president Zambia will ever have.
Imagine uwafwa ati mupange holiday. Ifyabupuba. by the time Zambia will have had 365 elo bonse ngabayashi nishi takwakabe uku bomba kabili every day ni so and so holiday
Instead of worrying about the poor why worry about the dead Mwanawasa..he has a stadium named after him and a mall…thats enough after all he was just a bandit like all other politicians
Chiluba was better than Mwanawasa! Just trying to answer the guy who is saying Mwanawasa was the best president. I am sure he also thinks “Childish is/was the best H-opposition President!” Of course it is about the Hatribes H-Association of Zambia.
@Nubian Princess, I do not agree with the idea of having one holiday to be called President’s day because even mediocre presidents would be celebrated on this kind of ‘President’s day’ which is not acceptable. Neither do I agree with Levy Mwanawasa day nor Sata day or even Kaunda day. Having a celebrated day should be a preserve of something very exceptional. Memorial service suffices for the departed friends who posterity will judge.
As Zambians we need to find a way to free ourselves from the shackles of colonialism of any sort including the new Chinese colonialism. We are endowered with a lot of resources and in this day and age we need to realise this potential and use it to our advantage rather than depend on other people’s inventions like internet to run our economy. We have…
Cont…We have to use what we have, innovate and put intellectual property rights on it. People like Brian Mushimba are a threat to innovation and should not be entertained in the new Zambia. He’s a joke and so are we all!
There will go again with another request for holiday …how about a request for Public Library. We are so poor and lazy yet we seek assistance from countries that have less holidays than us…I mean look at that tomb at the Embassy Park, it has clear windows covering it meaning someone has to clean them and guard them everyday at great cost…why can’t you simply erect a simply tomb stone.
@ Jay jay on this point I agree with you (and I am not saying that I agree with anyone all the time like Mushota, ‘PhD’. The only person I agree with is myself), affectionately called Gay gay by those who love or loathe him. In fact these fallen countrymen who had the rare opportunity to serve the great country should have been cremated and their ashes thrown in the Great Zambezi river (our river Ganges) and their souls would have still reached the destiny. This would have even saved the economy money which we are currently struggling to find. Embassy park is prime land which is also economically useful as the material that ‘graces’ the burial site. On polluting the great Zambezi river with dead comrade’s ashes, the river flows anyway and our learned Zambians could have researched on…
Zambians could have researched on that instead of making away with UPND’s (a party which needs to re orient itself) money after absconding the filing Kasenengwa by-election nomination papers which, can be linked to the corrupt road block police woman and the important meeting ‘sleeping beauty’. I am sure most of us can link our current problems to the spider web of problems we currently face which includes ‘our co-operating’ partners, the Chinese, internet call charges, Zambia airways launch, dununa reverse, the proposed building of Chief Nkomeshya’ conference hall, we coward learned men and women, as Sata would say, etc.
Mwanawasa`s family muletasha. Sata named a Stadium, a Hospital and a Shopping Mall in the CBD to honor him, but you still want a holiday sure!! Aikona. Presidents are still dying in office, how many holidays are we going to have? It will be a unproductive precedence to set if allowed this to happen!!
That caption is a lie naimwe ba LT:President Edgar Lungu attending the memorial service for Dr Levy Mwanawasa
Its supposed to be: President Edgar Lungu trying very hard not to doze off at the memorial service for Dr Levy Mwanawasa
i hear this toddler called Mark Simuuwe has decribed the late MICHAEL SATA as dull and wondered why pipo praise him. Simuuwe in trying so hard to earn a name for yourself, i beg you, stop insulting our intelligence. you have just stopped smelling pee as a toddler, if you didnt like the man… shut your a.s.s.
If every tax represents a day which is a holiday, we would find that everyday is a holiday.
As a country are we going to manage every late president to be gazetteer his death to public holiday.And some of us, don’t considered his death as heroic .So why a holiday..?
Big joke. End up with KK day, Chiluba day, Sata day, holidays all sorts!
KK deserves it.
No he does not.
Yes he does!
Mwamba Luchembe Day is needed as he brought a few hours of happiness to the oppresssed people of one party participatory democracy!
No he doesn’t. No Zambian deservers such a day all the Zambians do. Then which day is it? Independence DAY? Independent from what? Everyday is for Zambians in Zambia other nationals can sort out their days.
Yak!
While we agree that Levy was a good President, we DON’T a holiday to commemorate his DEATH!! By the way MANY OF THE ECONOMIC SUCCESSES ATTRIBUTED TO LEVY STARTED WITH FTJ AND HIS TEAM WITH THE SACRIFICE OF ALL ZAMBIANS. Debt cancellation was as a result of over 20 years of Structural adjustment programmes over seen by Finance Ministers;Kasonde,Penza, Nawakwi,Katele Kalumba and ONLY CONCLUDED by Magande under Levy! Debt cancellation led to additional resources in economy and boosted the kwacha as external debt servicing diminished! The same can be said about investment in mines especially new ones on NW Province which started bearing fruit under Levy’s watch without acknowledging those who initiated the process.
Hatribes do not understand your truth @#6. In fact, without Chiluba bulldozing his way thr’ and overlooking more deserving persons like Sata who had fought himself up the ladder with successes in every ministry or position he had worked in, Levy could not have been a president! That said, he is a human being (Levy) and we salute his contributions to Zambia.
FTJ was just thief. For kick backs he have away your mines and parastatals for a song. Who sells5 a mine for $20,000? You can even buy a good European league football player from that. FTJ wrecked the economy
Look at lungu , besties now with lusambo who caught cops at an illigal road block…..something that was common knowledge to everyone in Zambia…..
camon , what lusamboa done was not genious , let him have Lusaka cleaned up…
Look at Hazaluza Hagain! He will NEVER be president but he is free to dream and you are free to dream for him. He will NEVER be president in Zambia! Maybe in Namwala!
This person was one of the most useless and very unpopular presidents this country has ever had and you call for a public holiday???????????!!!!!!!! Let’s be serious
He is a lazy man simple as that….
I am glad I never lived under his presidency!
Lazy bum illiterate tribal hooligan and bully of the Tribal H-organization and son of a polygamist tribal father who never taught him toilet training soiling in public.
Bowman Lusambo Day
Ndwiii day! Then we will never have to work at all!
How about the freedom fighters who fought hard for Levy Mwanawasa to be in independent Zambia, when is their holiday day? Can people start thinking please and stop exposing their ignorance – There are people who lost lives to liberate this country and you want to give a holiday to somebody who just died on duty just many other Zambians who die on duty. Stop it now
After that flop of a holiday for Mayoral elections I do not advise devising any more. We can continue to observe this tribute every year as we will the others who have passed on. KK deserves a holiday even as he lives! That is the only guy befitting of a holiday. Manje cabe ma holiday ya pakisa pa Zed mwe!? Don’t forget that whenever the President is moving around there is a mini-holiday because we cannot move on the roads that he uses. I was almost fired once when I arrived for work late because of Presidential traffic… we almost lost a deal I was in charge of. Awe mwe!
Mwanawasa is the best President this country has ever had but it is not necessary to declare his memorial day as a public holiday. Let’s just keep commemorating it every year it arrives. Kenneth Kaunda as the “Father of the Nation” is the one whose memorial day should be declared a public holiday whenever it will fall.
Mwanawasa can not approve such a holiday why honour him.? iWE GELO ULETONTOKANYA NGO MUNTU.
Let’s be serious for once. Mwanawasa has been honored enough in Zambia. There is
1. Levy Park Mall
2. Levy Mwanawasa Stadium
3. Levy Patrick Mwanawasa Primary School (Btwn Ndola and towns)
4. Levy Hospital
5. Levy Toll Gate (Ndola under construction)
6. And now you want a Levy Holiday. Come on guys give us a break.
I foresee Zambia being renamed to Levy Nation. The signs are there. Eg. TV Levy, WhatsApp Levy, Toll Levy, Sewerage Levy…
I also would support naming the Levy Mwanawasa Sewerage System in Lusaka after the man and the one where people were displaced and assaulted after an election after Childish.
Don’t forget the Levy P Mwanawasa Bridge in Luapula Province crossing the Luapula River from DRC at Chembe
Very soon the two people seated in the bottom photo will be history. I mean come 2021.
Much as i feel Levy was the best president, i don’t concur with the idea as some presidents don’t deserve such a gesture may influence the institutions that be and earn themselves a day. However in the spirit of gender equality we need a Men’s day.
Levy, the worst president.
Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Levy Mwanawasa Bridge Levy Mwanawasa Hospital… Is that not enough?
Don’t forget there’s Mwanawasa Bridge somewhere in Luapula, and Mwanawasa Hostels at UNZA. Megalomania is a mental disorder. No, we are not interested in creating demigods, dead or alive.
With all due respect, this suggestion should be rejected.
Zambia has way too many holidays already.
Working public holiday….How does it work out? The definition of a holiday is thus..
a day fixed by law or custom on which ordinary business is suspended in commemoration of some event or in honor of some person. (this is what the dictionary defines the word HOLIDAY)
Then how does it become a working holiday? Please educate me
We do not need any more holidays.When are we going to work in Zambia?.In fact some holiday should be done away with.There is independence day to recognise every effort made by everyone including our former freedom fighters.Think of how to improve the economy,not ifya ku la losha every year na holiday next so that people can eat and drink senselessly.Think Of positive ideas on how Mwanawasa’s legacy will help Zambia.
NO MWANAWASA HOLIDAY , HE WAS JUST LIKE THE GREAT COBRA, INFACT THIS SHOULD BE THE LAST MEMORIAL LIKE WE FORGOT ABOUT OUR GALLANT FOOTBALLERS, 10YRS PA FULA
NO! to Levy Mwanawasa Holiday. You start this trend there will be Kaunda Holiday, …SATA Holiday….etc.
If you want to honor past presidents just have a presidents day to honor all them dudes.
there are already too many public holidays in the country. When do govt officials have time to work? Outside that those are paid holidays. Govt paying at least 2 weeks salary per employee per year without getting anything in return.. not to cheap 🙂
#15, Abnormal Zambian, you made me laugh, ati all those Levys!!
So did they shake hands hagain? Now with Mutinta gracing the handshake.
Are you really interested in Zambia’s economic recovery? We already have too many holidays and you are asking for more? Just to satisfy your ego we all should not produce??
Doc, how many holidays do you want to have? No need for any holiday over Mwanawasa’ demise, unless you are saying every passed on president should be accorded a holiday? Let’s think rationally please!
Mwanawasa is overrated. He never built anything. He only “built” Chiluba. Anamanga Chabe Chiluba. No roads, No hospitals, No schools, He only made Mutembo Nchito rich. I truly think that Mwanawasa is overrated, and I am yet to find a Zambian who can call a spade a spade on this one. He was ungrateful. He was tribal. he was jealousy. Chiluba made Mwanawasa President. He (Chiluba) stole Mazoka’s vote to ensure Mwanawasa was President. But look at the reward Chiluba got from this person you are overrating.
Can someone show us numbers (economic figures) which show that Mwanawasa was the best President. Zero. Nada.
The best posting so far! And my friend you are right.
Mwanawasa was the best president in Namwala.
VERY MUCH IN AGREEMENT WITH YOU. IF MWANAWASA WAS AS PRINCIPLED AS PIPO WANT US TO BELIEVE, WHY DIDNT HE REJECT FTJ’ S OVERTURES FOR HIM TO BECOME PRESIDENT SINCE IT WAS LAED WITH CORRUPTION. THAT ELECTION, MAZOKA WON BUT FTJ/LEVY ORRUPTION PREVAILED.
IF SATA HAD GONE TWO FULL TERMS THIS COUNTRY WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY MUCH MORE DEVELOPED AND NOT THAT SMALL TODDLER MARK SIMUUWE IS RANTING ABOUT AND NO ONE WOULD BE COMPARING HIM TO THIS LEVY
Heroes and Unity Days, African Freedom Days, Independence Day, etc. I that these are more than enough!
If we must have this day, have The Presidents Day or don’t have it at all.
Coming to think of it, we have Independence Day.
Public holiday, what for? There are so many holidays already. We over state what this man did for the nation apart from twisting the arm of FTJ. The man was just short tempered! Mr. Sata, in terms of driving development in Zambia, was the best president.
Please spare us. This country even needs some holidays scrapped off maka maka day of prayer. God already declared a day to pray. Some do it on Friday, others choose Saturday and the majority of us go on Sunday. Name your villages after the dead presidents just don’t impose holidays on Zambians in the name of honoring them.
Chuck, I love you man! You’re spot on in your commentary!
I liked Mr Mwanawasa. But public holiday is a step too far! These special days don’t just get dished out like sweets!
Let them declare the a public holiday but only in the calendar year where the day is on a Saturday and Sunday
Lets have a public holiday to debate which days should or should not be public holidays.
Comment:no need for “public” holiday, after all it’s that of an individual…….we should all perish and later put a public holiday as per say, but who will be the commemoraters? let’s just continue with individual memorial services we offer, and that’s that.