Republic of Zambia Address to the Nation by His Excellency, Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of The Republic Of Zambia, on The Eve of Zambia’s 54th Independence Anniversary  Tuesday, 23rd October, 2018

Notice: Undefined index: catFilterList in /home/zambi/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-likes/api.php on line 243

Read by Defense Minister Davies Chama

Countrymen And Women;

Good Evening,

Fifty-Four Years ago tonight, our country Zambia was born. It was the Third Country in the Southern African Region to gain Independence after Madagascar and Malawi. This Independence affirmed our Right To Self-Determination and Restored Our Dignity as A People and Country.

Tonight, We Remember And Honour All Those who Sacrificed For Our Freedom. In Commemorating Our 54th Independence Anniversary, Let Us Continue To Be United And Demonstrate That We Are A Grateful Nation. A Nation That Remembers And Celebrates its Heroes and Heroines, Both Sung and Unsung. Many have departed, but what they stood for still lives on.

Our generation today is therefore, not only the torch-bearer of the dream of our forefathers and mothers. It is also the generation to determine the Zambia we want and the Zambia we deserve.

Countrymen and Women,

This year’s theme for our independence anniversary is “celebrating a shared future of unity, development and prosperity”. The theme builds on our reflections during this year’s National Day of Prayer, Fasting, Repentance and Reconciliation on 18th October 2018.

The theme calls on all of us to be selfless, as well as to love and respect one another and our country.

It reminds us of the need to continue on the path of unity and hard work, if we are to achieve sustained development and prosperity for all.

In all this, we must continue seeking god’s guidance, for there is power in prayer.

Countrymen and Women:

The political emancipation we attained in 1964 was not an end in itself. rather, it was the beginning of a journey, a journey towards a shared future of unity, development and prosperity.

Indeed, independence is a continuous process of liberating ourselves from factors which hold us back as a nation.

These factors include poor work culture, low self-esteem and a negative mindset.

We need to assert ourselves and be confident in our ability to transform our country.

Countrymen and Women:

Prior to colonialism, our system of governance was based on traditional values and principles rooted in our common humanity. This included respect for each other, honesty, a deep sense of community, discipline and hard work.

We need to reinforce these positive values and principles as an integral part of our national identity and governance system. This is why our constitution now provides for national values and principles to guide our conduct as a nation.

We must uphold our dignity and self-worth as a people. we must be proud of who we are and defend and protect our values. We must also preserve our rich cultural heritage. We must endeavour to understand and appreciate it.

Countrymen and Women:  Our country is our brand. As Zambians, we have been able to live in harmony as one people from different and diverse cultures, religions and races. We are also well known for our hospitality and this has inspired many of our visitors.

We should, therefore, continue nurturing this positive brand of our country as it is essential to attracting foreign investment and tourists, as well as enhancing international relations.

In the spirit of unity and progress, every Zambian must play a role to deepen the meaning of our independence.  We must continue working together in our families, communities and work places.

A strong bond of unity will help us build a better Zambia for ourselves, our children and our children’s children.

Countrymen and Women:

Zambia is blessed with abundant natural resources. These are gifts that we should exploit for our development agenda.

I, therefore, urge all of us to ensure that we use these resources in a responsible and sustainable manner.

Let us take care of our forests, wildlife and water bodies. Let us ensure that our surroundings are clean, green and healthy. Let us inculcate this caring spirit in our children. Countrymen and Women:

We all can and should do more to make Zambia a better place to live and work in. we can and should do more to uplift our families, communities and the nation. We can and should do more to build a just and prosperous society. In all this, the unity of our people is paramount.

In unity, we have the power to propel our country’s development agenda to a higher level.

In unity, attainment of the vision 2030 of a prosperous Zambia is possible. In unity, we can achieve the dream of our independence.

Countrymen and Women:

As we envision, hope for and celebrate a shared future of unity, development and prosperity, let us avoid the pitfalls of faith without works, freedom without restraint, business without morality, education without character, pleasure without conscience and wealth without honour.

We have our national values and principles, as well as our Christian Faith to guide us from falling prey to these shortcomings.

Countrymen and Women:

We have made steady progress towards achieving prosperity and creating a just society. a lot, however, still remains to be done. Indeed, compelling tasks lie ahead.

We must continue liberating ourselves from poverty and unemployment. We must reduce the high levels of vulnerability and inequality in our nation.

We must continue enhancing our individual and collective capacities to deliver prosperity for all.

Let every step and breath that we take in our collective journey as a people be a tribute to our freedom fighters, and a resolve to accomplish what they would have loved to.

As we do so, let us not leave our youth behind. They represent the hope and future of our country.

Countrymen and Women:

Let us celebrate this year’s independence anniversary responsibly and with great caution. Let us look to the future of our nation with renewed hope and zeal.

I wish you and your families the best during our 54th independence anniversary tomorrow and may we continue to cherish and build our Mother Zambia.

May our shared future be brighter and more prosperous.

Happy birthday Zambia!  May god bless our great nation! Good night.