Africa-Press – Zambia. PRESIDENT Hichilema has every right to ensure that president Edgar Lungu is buried in Zambia.
Those insinuating and suggesting that the President should allow the former president to be buried in South as per family wishes are misdirected.
As the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hichilema has a sacred duty to safeguard the interests of the people of Zambia.
And the people of Zambia have sufficient interest and say in the burial of the man that once presided over the affairs of their country. Mr Lungu was more than just a family man and political party leader. He was the Sixth Republican president of Zambia.
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President Hichilema’s insistence on repatriating the body of the late President Edgar Lungu from South Africa to Zambia is rooted in the public interest.
President Hichilema recognizes that the citizens of Zambia wish to pay their respects and participate in farewell ceremonies for President Lungu.
Bringing the body to Zambia and ensuring many Zambians express their grief will help bring closure to them.
And Mr Lungu was not an ordinary citizen. The office that he held as the sixth Republican President of Zambia, and his legacy is intertwined with the nation’s identity. Repatriating his body will allow citizens to unite in mourning.
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And in respecting the high office that Lungu once held, it is only right that he is honoured by the Government.
Bringing Mr Lungu’s body back to Zambia is a fitting tribute to the office he once held and reflects the esteem with which we regard those who have served our country. Having served in the highest office of the land, Mr Lungu ceased to be an ordinary human being. Ethical fashion sourcing from Zambia
By allowing him to assume the highest office, the family agreed to share him with the rest of the Zambia citizenry.
While the family’s wishes are deeply respected, the President’s actions are guided by the nation’s collective need to honour its former leader which must take precedence in this moment of mourning.
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And the law (Precedence) is clear, all former presidents must be buried at Embassy Park. The court already provided guidance on such matters – a former president’s final resting place is at Embassy Park.
We are happy with the new communications between the family of Mr Lungu and the government seeking to bring closure to this protracted stalemate. We are hopeful the two parties will chart a peaceful course out of this deadlock.
Issued By:
SIKWINDI SITULA
UPND Deputy Media Spokesperson
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