Zambia’s sixth republican President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu was yesterday sworn in at a ceremony at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka.
Mr Lungu took the oath of office before Justice Irene Mambilima who also swore in Mrs Inonge Mutukwa Wina as vice president.
Mrs Wina was the president’s running mate in the August 11 elections, in which Mr Lungu and the Patriotic Front (PF) party won 50,35 percent of the vote, against 47,67 percent for main rival Mr Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND).
Mr Hichilema went on to mount unsuccessful bids to set aside the result and block yesterday’s inauguration.
President Mugabe and his Botswana counterpart President Ian Khama; vice presidents of Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, India and Uganda as well as the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, were among foreign dignitaries and leaders of regional bodies present.
Zambian founding father Dr Kenneth Kaunda, and fourth republican president Rupiah Banda were among the prominent locals in attendance.
A raucous crowd of over 50 000 at the giant stadium, and at two other venues where giant screens were put up, warmed the Lusaka atmosphere as Zambians celebrated the inauguration.
And at exactly 11am, Mr Lungu made the solemn pledge to serve Zambia before delivering his acceptance speech.
He promised to work together with all Zambians and laid out a raft of domestic policy measures and also promised a “progressive foreign policy”.
“Today is the culmination of the elections which not only showed your support for me but also that our people continue to grow. I cannot find words to thank you for your support through your votes,” he said.
He said he would not discriminate against any groups in the country, even his opponents, singling out a Southern Province called Dundumwezi where he polled a paltry 252 votes against his rival’s 30 810 votes.
“You have thrust on my shoulders a huge burden of responsibility. Even if you didn’t vote for me, I won’t let you down. I can only submit myself,” he said.
He noted that there had been pockets of post-election violence and said he would set up a commission of inquiry into the matter.
“Competitive enterprises tend to bring the worst in some of us. On my part, I have no time to settle scores. Let us rise above our different views,” he said.
But Mr Lungu warned that prosperity could not be achieved in an environment of acrimony and without peace.
“To our rivals we say what unites us is far more than what divides us,” he said.
Mr Lungu said Zambians must “redefine the word investor to mean ourselves”, and proposed a new agro-based revolution and also wean the country from over-reliance on copper.
He called for the “indigenising” of science and technology to offer local solutions and noted that the majority of Zambians, mostly women and youths were poverty stricken.
He said the potential of women and youths needed to be harnessed to deliver prosperity to the disadvantaged.
“I want to leave Zambia a better place than I found it,” he promised.
- The Herald (Zim Papers)