Amos Malupenga

Forthright and upstanding, Levy was never afraid to speak his mind. He instilled a culture of transparency in his government and cracked down on corruption, launching the biggest anti-corruption campaign in Zambia. He espoused the values of clean governance as one of the critical requirements for the development and reconstruction of the African continent.Thabo Mbeki, South African President, September 3, 2008I bring to the people of Zambia and family of President Mwanawasa, now the deceased, the sympathies and condolences of the brothers and sisterly people of Zimbabwe over the very sad loss of a great man whose work was aimed not only at the development of Zambia but our region as a whole. We shall all certainly miss this great colleague who was always very frank and courageous in expressing his honest views.May God rest him in eternal peace.'President Robert Mugabe, September 2, 2008, his message in the book of condolences at State House in LusakaIt's a hard blow, an extremely hard blow.Who can deny what a blow President Levy Mwanawasa's death is to our country, to our people, to our struggles, how much it means to no longer be able to count on his support, his experience, his inspiration, the strength of his character and reputation, which instilled fear in crooks, in the corrupt, the plunderers? It is a fierce blow, a very hard one. But we are sure that he, more than anyone, was convinced that what is more important is not man's physical life but rather his conduct. This is the only way to explain and understand how Levy's absolute contempt for crooks, thieves and plunderers fits in with his personality and actions.Fred M'membe, Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director of The Post, August 19, 2008, on the death of Levy Mwanawasa'A life of great patriotism and pan-Africanism and a life of service to one's people, turning to development that targets the people, a life of honesty, integrity and service without discrimination. His love of all the citizenry has been unprecedented?Former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, September 2, 2008

After reviewing just part of this book's contents, Rex Mudenda - a risk-management professional and Lusaka based avid reader of political science literature - statesThis book is loaded. There is usually no such a cocktail of prominent personalities covered in one book. I kept on salivating on the featured names under the "Conversations" section. The book has captured a good slice of Zambia's political story.Mulenga Kapwepwe, a prolific Zambian author, states: A page turning thriller of historical, social and political value. Each prominent personality comes alive through Amos Malupenga's compelling narrative, allowing us rare glimpses into their personal experiences and connections to pivotal events that have impacted and coloured our fascinating national story.The above is an apt description of this book's contents. They are as intriguing as they are gripping. Because of the "cocktail" of the personalities featured, one can safely say "these are several books in one."On the basis of these conversations with most of the political figures, the author has taken the liberty to draw a parallel between democracy and theocracy. In so doing, the author concludes that from the beginning of human history, even the best human governments (democracies) have failed to solve mankind's serious problems because of bad leadership owing to the inherent imperfection as a result of sin. The bad leadership "is increasingly proving to be one of the root causes of all evil in human societies" across the entire inhabited earth. Consequently, the author asserts that theocracy is the panacea, the universal cure, the perfect solution and sovereign remedy to mankind's problems - be they big or small.

The story of Hatsuko Takara-Kalabula is one of a Japanese woman who decided to visit Zambia back in the 1970s, fell in love with the country and its people, and chose to stay. It is also an inspiring story about the power of love to break racial prejudice and transcend religious bigotry that still fuel many social injustices across the globe today. It is a story of courage; of how a young girl escaped the horrors of the Second World War and decided to pursue her own dream, against all odds. It is a story of a woman who ventured into a continent and country unknown to her. It's a romantic story of how a Japanese woman "accidentally" fell in love with a Zambian man. This is a story of compassion, of a woman who touched the lives of visually-impaired pupils, helping them to break through many barriers set by a society that was far less accepting of people who had physical challenges. In essence, this is a story of a woman who chose to be blind to race, nationality, religion and social status, and have her own world view free of prejudice. Hatsuko would most definitely not consider herself a heroine, but the many people she touched, changing their destinies, definitely regard her as such.