This time, three days ago I was sitting using the computer as I normally do, being a lover of The Internet. Only I was not using it for the normal day to day communication such as talking to friends on MSN and Yahoo messenger, seeing what was new about acquaintances on Facebook or attending to family and professional emails on yahoo.

I was staring at the BBC site and browsing through the links to see whatever I could get about the late Zambian President His Excellency, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, State Counsel, whose passing-away I had just read about, having been in the UK for close to a year now.

I could not understand how Levy, as he was fondly called, could have finally failed to pull through a condition that his subordinates had for the past two months said was stable.

It is common knowledge now that he had collapsed just before the official opening of the heads of state meeting that was intended to discuss the Zimbabwe elections, which Levy had suggested be postponed after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai backed out of the race.

Without going in to much detail about that meeting , my point is that, at that time, there were rumours that the president had died. Oh, how I felt week to my knees when I received the news. I rushed to go to the nearest phone shop to call home and find out how things were. That time, it was more out of curiosity and fears of how our long lasting peace could be shaken by politicians with selfish motives, wanting to take the throne. Such situations, I thought usually pave way for anarchy, because of scrambling for power. But when I got through to my family, they said those had been mere rumours and that the Information minister had already refuted the claims, I was relieved.

What followed were assurances that the president was making steady progress and that in due course, he would be returning home. That was quite some hope.

And then just when I had forgotten about it, was only shocked to hear that his condition had worsened and soon after, he was dead. This time it hit me like one that had lost a father.

It is often said ‘Absence makes the heart grow fonder’, and as such some people would be emotionally stricken when somebody leaves or dies and end up saying all the good things, but I believe that to every person, there is a positive and negative side. Mwanawasa could have been condemned for certain decisions that he took and I remember, I too commented negatively on a few decisions he made. But like somebody once said, ‘in the midst of the negatives and positives that one may have had, there is no point making reference to the negatives, when they are no longer there, as it we don’t benefit anything from that, but there is everything to learn from their positives’. I think that way, it inspires the people that remain behind to emulate the positive things and make society a better place.

As such, I too will choose to forget whatever negative decisions (not that I can point at one), that my late president may have made and remember only the notable positive contributions he made to what Zambia is today as well as his stand on African issues. I don’t want to run through what others have already written about the stand he took on curbing corruption, economic policies he made that resulted in the inflation rate dropping significantly and the increased investment that he was brought about, not to mention his stand on African issues such as the last of his tasks, Zimbabwe’s situation. But rather, taking from all such scores, I can conclude that I admired his tenacity.

This is a man who chose to become unpopular for what he thought was right. He was fast losing friends because as long as somebody was found or suspected to be wanting, in his cabinet, national offices or wherever, in his jurisdiction, you were to be sure he would institute disciplinary measures.

His was the government of laws, which he termed the ‘New Deal’. Because of that, we as a country were sure that people in authority would not get away with wrong doing. His intolerance to various vices by people in authority, to me seemed to have opened up doors for people to be vigilant and try to report all who they thought were up to no good and he followed that up. I keep thinking... Are we going to be lucky twice, to get someone that will follow up on corrupt practices that have in the past cost us a lot and caused inefficiency in some public offices?

The fight against corruption, to me, was Levy’s personal drive and one needs to have the same amount of passion to continue with this fight. I think he leaves behind uncertainties of whether some people will now be left to go scotch free with cases that had been or were due to be opened against them, under his directives. He being a lawyer knew the procedures best and it was thus easy for him to bring these cases up. There are numerous cases that he had started and was constantly following up, but now that he is gone, I am not sure what will become of them.

Because of his stand on corruption, sanity was slowly being restored in public operations, because people were scared they would be found out if they engaged in dubious activities on duty. We surely can not afford to go backwards on crime.

Even in the end, President Mwananwasa stuck to his guns, doing what he thought was right even if it meant him becoming unpopular when he made a stand on the Zimbabwe elections, suggesting that they be postponed when not many leaders in Africa were courageous to make a statement about the issue. It is not surprising then that that was one last big shot he gave to his legacy of courage, forwardness and commitment to Africa’s wellbeing, before retiring to rest for good, defining even more, the kind of go-getter that he was. Again, a sad turnout for the continent especially countries like Zimbabwe who had hoped his intervention could place a light at the end of the tunnel for their torment.

As we eventually come to terms with the fact that Levy is gone, one thing that remains in minds such as mine is that once upon a time we had a President who was stubborn to the core, when it came to doing what he believed in. In his soft spoken nature, he was tough in the inside and his word yielded results.

The Mwanawasa family have lost a caring husband, father, brother and relative. Zambia has lost an unshakable leader. Africa has lost a focused intervener and the rest of the world have lost a trustworthy partner. Words may not be enough to drive home what is in the hearts of many, but one thing's for sure is: President Mwanawasa’s absence will be strongly felt at home and abroad.

May his soul rest in eternal peace.