South Chiefs mourn Sikota Wina

Some traditional leaders in Southern Province have urged Zambians to mourn the late freedom fighter Sikota wina with dignity.

Chief Chikanta of the Tonga people in Kalomo district, says the nation has lost a statesman who greatly contributed to the country’s freedom struggle.

And Chief Cooma of the Tonga people in Choma district, said he is saddened with the demise of Mr. Wina who died yesterday at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) after an illness.

Mr. Wina who died at the age of 91, is among the heroes of Zambia’s liberation struggle and served in Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s first Cabinet in 1964 as Zambia’s first Minister of Health.

The late freedom fighter served as Cabinet Minister in the UNIP regime for over ten years in various ministerial positions.

Mr Wina served as Minister of Local Government and Housing from 1965 to 1967, Minister of Local Government and Prisons in 1968 to 1969 and Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Tourism from 1969 to 1973.

Under the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), Mr Wina served as Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.

Until his death, Mr Wina was the last surviving member of Dr Kaunda’s first Cabinet of 1964.

Meanwhile, Freedom Fighters in Mansa District have joined in mourning last of the country’s first Cabinet Sikota Wina whom they have described as a unifier.

Mansa District Freedom Fighters Association Chairperson Cyprian Mulonda says the late Sikota Wina worked hard in ensuring that there is unit among all the tribes in the country.

Mr. Molunda reveals that it was as a result of the efforts which Mr Wina and other freedom fighters put in that the country was never divided on tribal lines.

Mr Mulonda observed that although there were some individuals who wanted to divide the country on tribal lines but they could not succeed because of the strong leadership which the country had in place where Mr Wina was one of them.

Mr. Molunda says Zambians will remember the late freedom fighter Sikota Wina for promoting unit among all the 72 tribes of Zambia.

He stressed the need for the current leaders to always put the interest of the country saying that is what those that fought independence like the late Wins stood for.

The late Sikota Wina who died yesterday at the University Teaching Hospital, was the only surviving member of the first Zambian cabinet where he served as a Minister of Health.