PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe paid tribute to late Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa on Wednesday as he was laid to rest alongside Zambia's war dead two weeks after succumbing to a stroke. During the burial, Mwanawasa’s widow was heckled and jeered by mourners when she gave her farewell speech.
Some 14 African leaders and senior officials from the United States and Britain joined more than 1,000 people who thronged parliament buildings in the capital Lusaka for Mwanawasa's state funeral.
President Mugabe described Zambia's president of six years as a very courageous leader, who wanted to change not only his country but the entire 15-nation Southern African Development Community (Sadc).
"Mwanawasa was a very courageous leader. He was very frank and wanted to change not only his country but the entire southern African region. We will greatly miss him," President Mugabe was quoted by Zambia radio on arrival in Lusaka, late Tuesday, for Mwanawasa's burial.
Mwanawasa, dubbed Mr Integrity for his pursuit of corrupt officials in his country died in a Paris hospital on August 19, weeks after suffering a massive stroke on the eve of an African Union summit in Egypt.
He would have turned 60 on Wednesday.
MWANAWASA’S WIDOW HECKLED
The crowd of mourners at the state funeral jeered and heckled Mwanawasa's widow Maureen when she spoke of her husband.
"Mr President, you were a jewel for Africa. Your enemies have now become my enemies," she said.
The controversial first lady caused uproar inside the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) recently by declaring that Finance Minister Mandu Magandi should succeed her husband rather than current vice-president Rupiah Banda.
Banda is acting president ahead of elections to chose Mwanawasa's successor, expected in November.
Some members of the ruling party have called on the first lady, widely seen as a power behind the throne, to consider standing for election herself.
Fifteen candidates from the MMD have officially lodged their candidacy for the presidential elections, which under the constitution must be held within 90 days of the president's death.
Decay, Mexico • na Subject: MORE THAN INTERESTING? Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:14:21 • Fifteen candidates from the MMD have officially lodged their candidacy for the presidential elections?
Like vultures, fifteen wannabees who obviously put their game plan into operation as soon as they heard the sad bad news... and we in Zimbabwe thought that everything in Zambia was running smoothly?
What fools some of us have been unto ourselves!
And, the elections must be within 90 days of the President's death?
One cannot help but wonder when is the date on which the President of Zambia actually died if these are the rumblings of what has been going on behind the tears and the black veils of mourning.
It is unbelievable that the death ot their President should bring about and reveal such shocking deails. How sad.
And as for suggestions that his widow should consider standing for election herself, were these the polite mutterings of fickle mourners, or is Zambia really ready to take on the feminine wiles of a strong lady President?
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