Patriotism, hard work key, Lungu extols Zambians
“We were colonised. We were second class citizens in our own country. We did not have a say about the gover- nance of our country. But we fought and fought and fought until we were free.
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has encouraged Zambians to embrace the spirit of patriotism and hardwork for the country to attain success.
President Lungu said “countrymen and women, as we celebrate this year’s independence anniversary, let us reflect on where we came from as a nation. The task of building the nation of Zambia was not easy, but we triumphed.
“We were colonised. We were second class citizens in our own country. We did not have a say about the governance of our country. But we fought and fought and fought until we were free.
“In the 56 years of independence, we have experienced three Republics. From a plural political landscape at independence, to a one-party participatory democracy introduced in 1972 and a return to multi-party democracy in 1990,” Mr Lungu said in a televised address to mark the country’s 56th independence anniversary.
President Lungu also aid “we remain a multi-party democratic state. In 56 years, we have had 12 general elections and three political parties have ruled Zambia without any acrimony during the transfer of power. This is an enviable record both in Africa and the world. Today, Zambia is among the top most democratic states in Africa.
Mr Lungu said these were strides that we need to sustain and take pride in.
He also said equally worthy of reflection on this day was economic journey, stating that Zambia started from a free market economy post-independence to a nationalised economy for more than two decades and back to a free market economy in the 1990s
“Our economy continues to be liberalised and more and more of our people continue to take advantage of the available economic opportunities. We have Zambian entrepreneurs owning and growing their own businesses under our liberalised and enabling environment.
We have Zambians traversing the globe and bringing wealth to their country. In addition, the country is an attractive destination for foreign direct investment, as well as a renowned tourism destination. Zambia is truly a land of opportunity for all,” President Lungu
said.