President Banda Farewell Speech 2011

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STATE HOUSELUSAKA

THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA

PRESS RELEASE

Zambia's Rupiah Banda bows out with grace andhonour

FAREWELL SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MR RUPIAH BWEZANI BANDA,FOURTH PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA,

ON FRIDAY, 23

RD

SEPTEMBER, 2011

"I HAVE CALLED THIS PRESS CONFERENCE TO SAY A FEW WORDS. THEELECTION CAMPAIGN OF 2011 IS OVER. THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA HAVESPOKEN AND WE MUST ALL LISTEN. SOME WILL BE HAPPY WITH WHAT THEYHAVE HEARD, OTHERS WILL NOT. THE TIME NOW IS FOR MATURITY, FOR COMPOSURE AND FOR COMPASSION.TO THE VICTORS, I SAY THIS: YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CELEBRATE BUT DOSO WITH A MAGNANIMOUS HEART. ENJOY THE HOUR BUT REMEMBER THAT ATERM OF GOVERNMENT IS FOR YEARS. REMEMBER THAT THE NEXT ELECTION WILL JUDGE YOU ALSO.TREAT THOSE WHO YOU HAVE VANQUISHED WITH THE RESPECT ANDHUMILITY THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT IN YOUR OWN HOUR OF DEFEAT. I KNOW THAT ALL ZAMBIANS WILL EXPECT SUCH BEHAVIOUR AND I HOPE ITWILL BE DELIVERED. SPEAKING FOR MYSELF AND MY PARTY, WE WILLACCEPT THE RESULTS. WE ARE A DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND WE KNOW NOOTHER WAY. IT IS NOT FOR US TO DENY THE ZAMBIAN PEOPLE. WE NEVER RIGGED, WE

NEVER CHEATED, WE NEVER KNOWINGLY ABUSED STATE FUNDS. WESIMPLY DID WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS BEST FOR ZAMBIA. I HOPE THE NEXTGOVERNMENT WILL ACT LIKEWISE IN YEARS TO COME. ZAMBIADESERVES A DECENT DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. INDEED, ZAMBIA MUSTBUILD ON HER PAST VICTORIES. OUR INDEPENDENCE WAS HARD WON, OURDEMOCRACY SECURED WITH BLOOD. ZAMBIAMUST NOT GO BACKWARDS, WE MUST ALL FACE THE FUTURE ANDGO FORWARD AS ONE NATION. NOT TO DO SO WOULD DISHONOUR OURHISTORY. TO MY PARTY, TO THE MMD CANDIDATES WHO DID NOT WIN, THE LESSON ISSIMPLE. NEXT TIME WE MUST TRY HARDER.WE FOUGHT A GOOD CAMPAIGN. IT WAS DISCIPLINED. I STILL BELIEVE WEHAD A GOOD MESSAGE AND WE REACHED EVERY PART OF THE COUNTRY. WE TRAVELLED TO ALL NINE PROVINCES AND WE SPOKE TO ALL ZAMBIANS.TO THOSE WHO WORKED EVERY HOUR OF THE DAY, I SAY ‘THANK YOU’. YOUHAVE DONE YOUR BEST. BUT, SADLY, SOMETIMES OUR BEST IS NOT GOODENOUGH. DO NOT BE DISHEARTENED. THE MMD WILL BE BACK. WE MUST ALL FACETHE REALITY THAT SOMETIMES IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE. SINCE 1991, THEMMD HAS BEEN IN POWER. I BELIEVE WE HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB ONBEHALF OF ALL ZAMBIANS. FREDERICK CHILUBA LED US TO A GENUINE MULTI-PARTY STATE ANDINTRODUCED THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO OUR KEY INDUSTRIES. ZAMBIA WASLIBERATED BY AN MMD IDEAL BUT MAYBE WE BECAME COMPLACENT WITHOUR IDEALS. MAYBE WE DID NOT LISTEN, MAYBE WE DID NOT HEAR. DID WE BECOME GREY AND LACKING IN IDEAS? DID WE LOSE MOMENTUM?OUR DUTY NOW IS TO GO AWAY AND REFLECT ON ANY MISTAKES WE MAYHAVE MADE AND LEARN FROM THEM. IF WE DO NOT, WE DO NOT DESERVETO CONTEST POWER AGAIN. THE ZAMBIA WE KNOW TODAY WAS BUILT BY AN MMD GOVERNMENT. WEKNOW OUR PLACE IN HISTORY AND WE KNOW THAT WE CAN COME BACK TOLEAD AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. A NEW LEADERSHIP WILL BE CHOSEN, ANDTHAT LEADERSHIP WILL BE FROM THE YOUNGER GENERATION. MY GENERATION… THE GENERATION OF THE INDEPENDENCE STRUGGLE--MUST NOW GIVE WAY TO NEW IDEAS; IDEAS FOR THE 21

ST

CENTURY. FROM

THIS DEFEAT, A NEW, YOUNGER MMD WILL BE RE-BORN. IF I CAN SERVETHAT RE-BUILDING, THEN I WILL. I MUST THANK MY CABINET FOR DELIVERING ON OUR PROMISES. WE DID ALOT OF GOOD FOR ZAMBIA. MANY OF OUR PROJECTS WILL BLOSSOM INTOBRIGHT FLOWERS. SOME OF YOU WILL BE BACK TO SERVE ZAMBIA AGAIN – IKNOW YOU WILL DO YOUR BEST FOR YOUR PARTY AND FOR YOURCOUNTRY.TO THE CIVIL SERVANTS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, IT HAS BEEN APRIVILEGE TO SERVE WITH YOU. WE HAVE WORKED MANY LONG HOURSTOGETHER. WE DID IT NOT FOR OURSELVES BUT FOR ZAMBIA. SERVE YOURNEXT MASTERS AS YOU DID ME, AND ZAMBIA WILL BE IN GOOD HANDS. I MUST THANK MY FAMILY AND MY WIFE. THEY HAVE STOOD BY ME AND ICANNOT ASK FOR MORE LOYALTY THAN THAT WHICH THEY HAVEDISPLAYED. I LOVE YOU ALL DEARLY AND I WILL ALWAYS BE IN YOUR DEBT. BEING PRESIDENT IS HARD WORK, IT TAKES LONG HOURS OF WORK. ANDBECAUSE OF IT, I HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR YOU. YET, STILL YOUWERE THERE FOR ME. WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS THE DEPTH OF MY LOVE FOR YOU ALL. ALL I ASKIS THAT MY FAMILY CONTINUES TO SERVE ZAMBIA AS I HAVE SOUGHT TO DO. BUT MY GREATEST THANKS MUST GO TO THE ZAMBIAN PEOPLE. WE MAY BEA SMALL COUNTRY ON THE MIDDLE OF AFRICA BUT WE ARE A GREATNATION. SERVING YOU HAS BEEN A PLEASURE AND AN HONOUR. I WISH ICOULD HAVE DONE MORE, I WISH I HAD MORE TIME TO GIVE. OUR POTENTIAL IS GREAT. OUR RESOURCES ARE IMPRESSIVE.I URGE YOU ALL NOW TO RALLY BEHIND YOUR NEW PRESIDENT.YES, WE MAY HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS BUT WE BOTH WANT THE SAME THING – A BETTER ZAMBIA. NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR VIOLENCE AND RETRIBUTION.NOW IS THE TIME TO UNITE AND BUILD TOMORROW’S ZAMBIA TOGETHER.ONLY BY WORKING TOGETHER CAN WE ACHIEVE A MORE PROSPEROUSZAMBIA. IN MY YEARS OF RETIREMENT, I HOPE TO WATCH ZAMBIA GROW. IGENUINELY WANT ZAMBIA TO FLOURISH. WE SHOULD ALL WANT ZAMBIA TOFLOURISH. SO, I CONGRATULATE MICHAEL SATA ON HIS VICTORY. I HAVE NO ILL FEELING IN MY HEART, THERE IS NO MALICE IN MY WORDS. I

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