Africa-Press – Zambia. STATE House Chief Communications Specialist Clayson Hamasaka says President Hakainde Hichilema attending former president Edgar Lungu’s funeral is not a matter of life and death but duty.
On Monday, Lungu’s family lawyer, Makebi Zulu, said President Hichilema should respect the wishes of the late president’s family by not insisting on attending his funeral, arguing that “he won’t die if he misses it.”
Commenting on this in an interview, Thursday, Hamasaka said it was rude and cruel to indicate that President Hichilema wouldn’t die if he missed Lungu’s funeral when he was just fulfilling his duty as the Head of State.
“The way they (Makebi and Lungu’s family) are making it, it’s like a matter of death and life for HH to attend or to view the body, they are making it like it’s a matter of life and death.
You know, if he will be there, he will probably be there to perform a role as Head of State and I mean if, emphasising ‘if,’ if he will be there, it will be to fulfil his duty as an elected Head of State towards a former head of state not as a matter of life and death.
I am saying if he will be there, he will be there as a matter of duty as Head of State, especially if it’s a state funeral. [At] a state funeral, don’t you expect the head of state? That’s why it’s called a state funeral, you expect the head of state to be there,” Hamasaka said.
“If he will be there, it’s a matter of duty to the nation as elected Head of State, not as a matter of life and death as they are trying to put it. So, let’s use sober language towards each other in finding a solution to this issue. If you say he won’t die if he doesn’t attend, let him just stay away, that is being too cruel, that language doesn’t build a country”.
Hamasaka further wondered who told Zulu that President Hichilema insisted on attending Lungu’s funeral.
“I think firstly, it’s a bit rude to extend such language in such situations, right? It’s rude and that’s being cruel. Let’s respect each other, let’s be civil with each other.
Let’s all use language that brings people together in the country and in finding a solution around the impasse [rather] than being uncivil with each other. Who told anyone that HH is insisting on body viewing, who [said] HH is insisting on attending? Who told them that?
My view to the young man Makebi is [that] let’s be sober, let’s engage each other as Zambian citizens, this thing will pass, we’ll remain, [and we] will have to keep engaging each other even on other issues.
So, cruel language will not help anybody. We can also respond in a cruel [way] around this whole thing but we don’t want to go that route as well,” said Hamasaka.
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