Zambia’s Ambassador to Germany Anthony Mukwita says the government has continued to honor the country’s freedom fighters by building economic development on the political freedom they fought for.
Addressing 160 guests at the Maritim Hotels in the German capital Berlin to toast Zambia’s 54th Independence Anniversary, Ambassador Mukwita says President Edgar Lungu’s government has improved the country’s outlook in the infrastructure and social sectors fulfilling the dreams of the freedom fighters who wanted to see a better life for all.
“Since independence, we have had the same airport servicing only one million passengers per year but in a few months if not weeks, we are opening an ultramodern airport which will be servicing about 4 million passengers per year”, Mr. Mukwita said amid applauds.
He says the construction of the more 300 million dollar Kenneth Kaunda International Airport named after Zambia’s first President comes at a time the Lungu government has revived Zambia Airways, a national carrier that post-independence leaders launched but was liquidated in the 1990s after a new government assumed power.
The Zambian senior diplomat shared a number of advances in such sectors as primary health in which the number of deaths related to pregnancies or child development has drastically reduced owing to advances in government investment.
“At independence, Zambia was served by one major hospital in capital Lusaka supported by a handful of district hospitals and rural health centers and health posts. Under President Lungu, these efforts have been largely expanded upon with hundreds of health posts and each district with an ultramodern hospital performing more challenging medical procedures,” he said.
He says in recent months, Zambian doctors have performed medical procedures that would have been considered unthinkable at independence such as the separation of Siamese twins, heart surgeries and a kidney transplant.
Mr. Mukwita says President Lungu’s government has also revived a State investment initiative called Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) whose mandate is to manage public investments.
He recalls that under the post-independence government of President Kaunda, public investments were coordinated under such bodies as INDECO, FINDECO and MINDECO.
This is contained in a statement issued to Money FM News by Zambia’s Embassy in Germany First Secretary Kellys Kaunda.