HH LEADS SADC LEADERS IN UNVEILING OF JULIUS NYIRERE STATUTE IN ADDIS
THE Southern African Development Community (SADC) has unveiled an impressive three-meter tall statue at the African Union headquarters in Addisa Ababa Ethiopia, in honour of Tanzania's founding President, Julius Mwalimu Nyerere.
The statue is a symbol of his contributions towards the liberation struggle of many African countries.
President Hakainde Hichilema, in his capacity as Chairman of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation led the unveiling process.
In his statement, President Hichilema said the statue will be a constant reminder to all regional blocs and the global community of the noble work President Nyerere did in bringing about peace and stability.
“Honouring our noble leaders is the right thing in preserving their legacy,” President Hichilema said.
And Tanzanian President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is also the incoming Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Defence and Politics, profoundly reflected on the impact of President Nyerere's leadership.
President Hassan, described President Nyerere as a visionary leader, who dedicated his duty to fostering unity and development not only in Tanzania but the entire African continent.
Meanwhile, SADC Executive Secretary, Elias Magosi, said the statue must save as a constant reminder to the present and future generations of a leader who believed in guarding the continental peace and security jealously.
Mr Magosi also observed that the statue will help to preserve the memory of a selfless leader.
Speaking at the same event, African Union Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki described President Nyerere as an iconic Pan Africanist who played a key role in the establishment of the Organisation of the African Unit (OAU) in 1963.
"At an AU summit in 1963, Mwalimu said and I quote " Our continent is one and we are all Africans, hence this organisation symbolises our determination to move forward together," Mr Faki recalled.
The Julius Nyerere statue has been erected in front of the Julius Nyerere Peace and Security Building, commissioned in 2016 at the AU Headquarters.
Other statues at the AU headquarters include that of Emperor Haile Selassie, who was the last emperor of Ethiopia serving from 1930 to 1974 and is credited for his influential role in the establishment of the OAU and today's modern Ethiopia, and Ghana's founding President, NKwame Nkurumah.
In 2020, SADC resolved to erect statues for all the nine SADC founding fathers including Zambia's founding President, Kenneth Kaunda, at the SADC headquarters in Botswana.
The unveiling event was attended by various Heads of State and Prime Ministers.