On the occasion of the 53rd Independence Anniversary reception in Kuala Lumpur on 24th October 2017, His Excellency Mr. Walubita Imakando, High Commissioner of the Republic of Zambia to Malaysia highlighted in his remarks that celebrating Independence Anniversaries was not simply for the sake of merry-making, but a time to appreciate and reflect on what it means to be masters of our own destiny, as well as to take stock of our progress and renew our aspirations for a better future as a united nation. The event was attended mainly by Zambians in the diaspora, professionals and students in addition to Mission staff.
The High Commissioner noted that theme of this year’s Independence Anniversary was, “Celebrating Our Freedom for Continued Peace, Unity, Patriotism and Development”. On this, he reiterated that Zambians were a peace-loving people and that our country has enjoyed tranquility and political stability ever since independence in 1964 and that we remained a peaceful nation out of our conscious decision to follow a path based on the principle of peace, unity and tolerance, laid by our founding fathers and renewed by successive leaderships.
In tandem with the theme of the this year’s Independence Anniversary, the High Commissioner echoed the call to embrace peace, unity and patriotism as they were critical for the attainment of our development aspirations as enshrined in the long term “Vision 2030” and the current mid-term plan, the 7th National Development Plan (7NDP). He encouraged the Zambians in the diaspora to acquaint themselves fully with the plan as it was a useful resource to those that intended to invest back home and contribute to the country’s development. He indicated further that the 7NDP also provides the basis for Zambia’s economic diplomacy efforts with Malaysia and other countries in the South Eastern Sub-region to which the Mission to which the Mission is accredited.
Before ending his remarks, the High Commissioner appealed to the Zambian diaspora to project a positive image of themselves and the country in whatever they do, in the true Zambian spirit.
The full statement can be viewed via a link below: