Africa-Press – Zambia. Patriotic Front (PF) Presidential aspirant, Hon. Makebi Zulu, has clarified his decision to participate in the ongoing party presidential race despite the unsettled matter surrounding the burial of the late former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, describing his participation as both an act of loyalty and honour to the fallen leader’s vision for Zambia.
Speaking this evening when he featured on EMLive, Hon. Zulu has addressed concerns from within and outside the party suggesting that his involvement in political activities during this period was inappropriate.
He clarified that the ongoing disagreement over the burial of President Lungu was not a political stunt, but rather a matter of principle and broken trust between the family and the government.
“The question of the burial of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu is an issue for all of us,” Hon. Zulu stated.
“In speaking for and on behalf of the family, I communicate the desires of the family the desires of the late President as a person that is properly principled ought ordinarily to do.”
He emphasized that the matter had been mischaracterized by detractors:
“It is not a comfortable matter to discuss, but it has been moved and made to seem as though the idea of the burial is a political move. Obviously, that is being drawn by the detractors.”
“No one is talking about how the family is not the one that went to court, how the issues that surround this matter are issues of trust the trust that has been broken down between the family and the government, not by reason of the actions of the family, but by reason of the actions of the government.”
He stressed that any genuine reconciliation must begin with rebuilding confidence.
“Unless and until trust is built, which is what is being worked on to build trust between the family and the government, it would be very difficult and unprincipled to give in to demands that you know will not eventually be followed.”
Hon. Zulu further argued that respecting the wishes of the deceased and his family is a moral duty that transcends politics:
“Any person with their soul or with any iota of morality should be able to respect those particular wishes and not replace the wishes of the deceased or indeed the wishes of the family with their own. To do so is what would be manipulative.”
“Within the party, I’ve had discussions from those who are supporting my colleagues to say, no, you can’t participate because there is this burial that is pending.
And I’m thinking, okay, but everyone else is participating and we haven’t buried. They form part of the ECL family. They form part of the patriotic family. So, what is good for the goose is certainly good for the gander.”
He stated that his political engagement was in fact an act of honour to President Lungu’s legacy, not defiance.
“We are not participating in the political process for purposes of disrespecting ECL. We are participating in this political process for purposes of honouring ECL, considering what he died for. He died so that we may restore democracy. He died so that we may restore the rule of law. He died so that we may restore the respect for institutions of governance. He died so that we may restore the issues of human rights.
He questioned the logic of restricting citizens’ voices or progress in the name of mourning:
Hon. Zulu concluded his remarks with a philosophical reflection passed down from his late father:
“My father once told me this. He says slander is a tool for fools. That is to say, where a person loses an argument, they’ll resort to slander. They’ll resort to insults. And they’ll not be addressing an issue for what it is.”
In a light moment, he acknowledged the ridicule he has received for his outspokenness, remarking:
“I’ve been nicknamed Malukula, International Malukula.”
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