Africa-Press – Zambia. Twice I have read Ketis Ngoma’s response to Rev. Walter Mwambazi’s article on the burial impasse of the former President, Edgar Lungu.
Ngoma states a fact which is not in dispute – the government of President Hichilema stopped the burial of the former President in a South African Court.
Otherwise, Lungu would have been buried a long time ago.
President Hichilema, according to the narrative that has emerged, is responsible for the decision to challenge the Lungu family in the courts of law.
If only Hichilema, the narrative goes, respected the wishes of his predecessor, the current impasse would have been avoided.
Here is my view. Presidents have serious vulnerabilities that are not obvious to the public.
They may look powerful but they have serious weaknesses that can and often are exploited by those near them.
Not every decision attributed to them is theirs. They may have even disagreed with them vehemently behind the scenes.
They capitulate because if those employed to offer them advice feel disrespected and their advice disregarded, going forward, they may stop performing their duties.
This becomes a recipe for disaster for someone who holds a position whose decisions have far reaching implications.
Applied to the case of the burial of the former President, it’s very likely that Hichilema may have decided to respect the wishes of his predecessor but someone may have told him otherwise.
This is not about you or Mr. Lungu, they may have told him.
It’s about the country and its practices, they may have further argued.
I can imagine them saying that whether it looks cruel and morally dry, the precedence must be upheld.
Others may have even reminded him that there is no doubt that there was some serious political beef between the two of them.
However, they may have argued that the state respects no emotions because it has no emotions.
The downside of this position is that none of the public servants that rendered this advice get the wrath of the public who have condemned this position.
Instead, the President shoulders it alone because, as far as the public is concerned, it’s his decision.
It’s with this possibility at the back of my mind that I usually appear to cut Hichilema some slack.
Kellys Kaunda
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