By Daily Revelation Reporter
President Hakainde Hichilema says the late former Republican vice-president Dr Guy Scott helped the nation through one of the most difficult moments when he held firm as the majority in the PF wanted to steer the country in the wrong direction following the death of president Michael Sata.
And President Hichilema said not many could manage to handle one of his predecessors, Sata, in the same manner Dr Scott did.
Speaking during the memorial service of the late Dr Scott at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, President Hichilema said a lot was said about Scott and the consistency with which people spoke about him showed that what they were saying was correct.
“Some people mutate into other things conveniently but Guy didn’t do that,” he said.
He said Dr Scott was a noble citizen of Zambia, who was born in Livingstone and loved this country so much to be his own.
He said Dr Scott had choices to live anywhere in the world given his intellectual endowment as many countries look for the talent he had.
He said some citizens thought farming, which was among Dr Scott’s specialities was for certain people, without understanding that it was part of hierachy of needs.
He acknowledged Dr Scott’s contribution towards food production in the country.
He said it was a very difficult time for Zambia when President Sata died as the internal issues in PF were heavier than the issues outside the PF, in terms of the intensity of who was going to succeed the late president, but Dr Scott provided leadership.
He said the nation must reflect on such critical moments on who helped the country through a difficult situation.
He said Dr Scott was aided by a few people as a greater number in PF wanted to go in a difficult direction but he stood his ground.
“We thank this guy here Dr Guy Scott,” he said.
He said Scott chose duty over ambition and selflessly safeguarded the constitution of the country.
He said the man cherished the peace for what the country is know for.
President Hichilema urged Zambians to retain the asset of peace.
He said Dr Scott was honest, witty and fearless in his own way, and that he was guy of reason.
He said he never saw ethnicity or colour in fellow human beings.
“He saw us as his fellow citizens, colleagues yet trained and skilled differently,” President Hichilema said.
He said Scott was intelligent but still came out in a simplistic way.
“And he knew how to deal with Michael Sata. I think … He knew exactly how to angle his issues with Michael Sata. I don’t think many have done what Guy did to deal with then President Michael Sata, but Guy came in handy even before president Sata became head of state,” President Hichilema said.
He said Dr Scott understood one Zambia one nation motto.
He said Scott understood early on that the country was on a gravy train over excessive borrowing under the PF.
“And we did crash. Guy new that much earlier even colleagues of his that worked around him. And we found common ground on that aspect,” he said, adding that that was because of Dr Scott’s ability to understand issues in a complex way.
He said that was the genesis of them working together again and was kind enough to allow his wife, Dr Charlotte to run as Lusaka-Central UPND candidate in the 2016 general elections.
He narrated an incident where Dr Scott insisted on them stopping by an area in order to talk to voters on their way to the Copperbelt, over the objections grom Hichilema due to limitations with time. However, after Hichilema had given in and they managed to land, the first thing Scott did was to ask for a place to pass urine, with him urging Hichilema to him along as a person like him could not afford to move with a full bladder as he was prone to arrests.
Hichilema said he only appreciated the wisdom by Scott to stop by as when they got to their destination in Masaiti on the Copperbelt they found that police had dispersed their supporters with teargass, saying had it not been for Scott they would have found themselves in the frenzy.
