ZAMBIA TO CONSTRUCT MEMORIAL PARK REMEMBERING CHINESE HEROES
Zambia on Monday held a groundbreaking ceremony to commence construction of a memorial park on two hectares in Chongwe district of Lusaka Province to commemorate the Chinese who died during the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA).
The ceremony was attended by both Zambian and Chinese government officials, including Zambia’s first President Kenneth Kaunda and China’s Minister of Veteran Affairs Sun Shaocheng.
The Chinese minister said about 50,000 Chinese workers at the time came to Africa to work in various projects and worked hard despite harsh conditions.
He said Zambia and China have never forgotten the sacrifice of the martyrs, adding that their sacrifice to duty will motivate the two countries to work harder to cement their ties.
China, he said, was committed to making joint efforts with Zambia to carry forward the spirit of TAZARA and collaborate more in various areas for a shared future.
Li Jie, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia, said: “In order to permanently commemorate the Chinese heroes who sacrificed their lives in Zambia and the history of friendly cooperation between China and Zambia, through friendly consultations, our two governments have decided to build a TAZARA memorial park.”
The Chinese envoy said the memorial park will be a history book for the younger generation of the two countries and that once completed, it will be a free park open to all and will also become a new landmark building to promote tourism.
Kaunda said Zambia will never forget the sacrifice shown by China over the years and that the southern African nation will forever be grateful. The park will act as a symbol of enhanced cooperation between the two countries.
Zambian President Edgar Lungu commended the collaborative efforts of the two countries to construct the memorial park, saying it shows the unwavering relations between the two countries.
The president commended Chinese nationals who died during the construction of the railway line, adding that it was appropriate that a tribute was paid to them through the construction of the memorial park.
