Zambia can’t eat peace – Monroe
VICE-PRESIDENT Guy Scott (right) receives three books authored by motivational speaker and leadership mentor Myles Monroe (left) on Friday night in Lusaka. – Picture by JEAN MANDELA
BILLIONAIRE businessman and philanthropist Rajan Mahthani has become the first person to officially honour the wife of first President Kenneth Kaunda, Betty, who died on September 18 after a 60-year battle with diabetes.
During the ceremony graced by Vice-President Guy Scott, visiting motivational speaker Myles Monroe told the gathered guests that Zambia cannot live on ‘peace’ alone.
The understated but classy ceremony attended by thousands of leaders from various walks of life was held in the banquette hall housed at the new Government Complex in Lusaka.
Dr Mahthani described Mama Betty, who was 84, as an “inspiration” to Zambian girls and all women folk, given the crucial role she played as a wife of a freedom fighter, often having to take care of children alone while Dr Kaunda and others ran battles with colonial masters.
Mr Kaweche Kaunda, the 53-year-old sixth son of the first President, received the honour in the name of a charity to be known as Betty Kaunda Foundation for Children in need on behalf of the family.
It carries a K100million start-up financial resource personally donated by Dr Mahthani and his Finance Group of Companies.
During the same event, Dr Mahthani also honoured renowned lawyer Stephen Malama, who also died in his sleep on June 18 on his way from receiving medical attention in India aboard a plane recently. He was 71.
Paulman Chungu, the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) honorary secretary, thanked Dr Mahthani on behalf of LAZ saying: “It’s a great honour to Mr Malama, an exceptional and inspirational lawyer who contributed greatly to the development of law in Zambia.”
Mr Chungu said the scholarship “will go a long in further enhancing law studies in Zambia…Dr Mahthani wants LAZ to help pick the right recipients of the scholarship and we will do our best”.
Meanwhile, Bahamas-born celebrated motivation speaker, preacher and author Dr Monroe—the chief guest at the ceremony graced by Dr Scott—commended Zambia for being a haven and beacon of peace in Africa.
Dr Monroe, however, said Zambia needed more than peace to expand the economy and lift the population out of poverty through a vision-oriented leadership.
“Peace is good but you can’t eat peace,” Dr Monroe said, “Zambia needs wealth, Zambia needs a visionary leadership and I think it has the right opportunity now more than ever with the current leadership.”
Instead of seeing obstacles as the country grows, Dr Monroe urged the Zambian leadership and people to emulate the ‘King of the Jungle’, the lion, which, despite being small in size, conquers huge animals like elephants.
“When a lion sees an elephant…it says, ‘there is my lunch’ and not something huge,” Dr Monroe said. “Zambia should be like that…your leadership should be like that.”
Dr Scott told the highly decorated Dr Monroe that the biggest challenge Zambia is presently faced with is poverty while challenges abound regarding diversifying the economy from a copper-based mono culture economy to, for instance, agriculture and tourism.
Dr Monroe, who was scheduled to leave Zambia yesterday, was a guest of Dr Mahthani.
No comments:
Post a Comment