President Mwanawasa was the first President to have elected been outside the Northern Regions of Zambia.

That very attribute was a great source of political abuse against him by some of his political opponents especially from the PF.

He was haunted and vilified for literally anything under the sun but he was ever tenacious and resolute of what he exactly wanted for the future of the nation and its citizens especially the youth and the women.

He was called Mr Cabbage because his opponent was attempting to justify his stuttering in speech as a sign of an alleged vegetative state. At political rallies political supporters were encouraged to bring along Cabbage heads which they split open while chanting ‘cabbage…cabbage cabbage….’

Instead of invoking the dreadful POA or locking up those that insulted him using some old British Colonial legislation to deal with his political opponents, Levy would insist it was their democratic right to insult and criticize him and when they did that it was like applying rich lotion to his character.

His anti corruption fight was unequaled and unequivocal. The law would visit all those with long fingers because his government was one of laws than men, he would say.

The dollar was trading at just under K5 each and the economy was booming. Development was not segregative or based on regional or political affiliations. It was an unheard of, of a public leader to publicly champion tribalism as a weapon of war against a political opponent. Cadresim and violence was at zero tolerance.

Nobody will take away Levy Patrick Mwanawasa’s legacy. “I hate corruption with passion….”, he charged in a video message he had left as his last communication to a country he served exceptionally and with integrity. As a matter of fact at his death, the world press called him ‘Mr Intergrity’. A rare salutation of an African or Zambian leader for that matter.

Rest well Sir.