•FIRST Republican President Dr Kenneth Kaunda receives a birthday present at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka during the commemoration of his 90th birthday yesterday. Picture by SAM PHIRI.

By CHARITY MOONGA-
FIRST Republican President Kenneth Kaunda yesterday toasted his 90th birthday in grand style with the Statesman thanking Zambians for the support rendered to him in his entire life.
The birthday celebrations started with morning visits to his State Lodge house from various stakeholders who presented Dr Kaunda with gifts, and culminated in an interdenominational thanksgiving prayer service held at Cathedral of the Holy Cross later in the afternoon.
The birthday prayers were attended by Cabinet ministers, deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Mkhondo Lungu, some opposition political party leaders, former First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa, service chiefs, diplomats, top Government officials and members of the public.
The Interdenominational prayers were beamed live on national television and also attracted Christians from all walks of life and various choirs, including children who sang songs praising God for Dr Kaunda’s life, while his grandchildren and great grandchildren extolled him with glowing tribute.
In an emotional speech, Dr Kaunda thanked God for blessing him.
“In my 90 years, one of my greatest lessons has been that I am not alone. There is God. When people celebrate my birthday, it moves me. It moves me because I realise how awesome it has been for God to make me experience things I have gone through. Who am I for God to bless with so much? I give thanks to God, he has helped me,” he said.
Dr Kaunda preached love and reminded fellow Zambians that he was never alone in the fight for freedom through which he was able to make his own contribution and those included his wife Betty and many others who were now deceased.
“Without the support of others from childhood to the present, I would not be 90 years old. A lesson is that none of us is able to achieve things without the support of others.
“While I have made my contributions that have reached others, many, many, people have contributed to my life. From my childhood in Lubwa, to being President at State house and meeting people from various parts of the world and right up to now, it is clear that on my journey, I have not been alone. I greatly appreciate the importance of others in shaping my experiences,” he said.
Throughout his speech Dr Kaunda continued extolling other people who had contributed to his achievements among them former President Rupiah Banda and President Michael Sata and others whom he just referred to as men and women, young persons, and the elders around who guided him.
“I worked with many people whose names may not be recorded here but whose contribution was vital for what we eventually went through and also implemented the philosophy of Zambian Humanism. We made advances in infrastructure. We worked together in trying to live the vision of “One Zambia, One Nation.”
Earlier, in a speech written by President Sata to Dr Kaunda, and delivered by Labour and Social Security Minister, Fackson Shamenda, the Head of State praised Dr Kaunda for the contribution he had made in freeing mankind from colonialism, poverty, ignorance, disease and exploitation of man by man and his quest to emancipate Zambia both politically and economically.
Mr Sata cited Dr Kaunda’s song that “Bambi balelila ama suit, ifwe tulelila iChalo” song which showed the former President’s commitment to emancipate Zambia.
He said although the war for political emancipation was won by Dr Kaunda, the war for economic emancipation was still raging.
He said it was sad that 50 years after independence, 60 per cent of the Zambian people still lived below the poverty datum line.
“You have become more valuable to us at 90 years. With the same degree of selflessness in fighting for political freedom, we shall triumph over economic and other issues and extreme poverty will be consigned to the museum,” he said.