{"id":74079,"date":"2025-06-29T20:28:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T20:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zambia\/all-news\/hands-off-a-mourning-widow-ngocc-blasts-govt-for-dragging-esther-lungu-to-court-the-zambian-observer"},"modified":"2025-06-29T20:28:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-29T20:28:00","slug":"hands-off-a-mourning-widow-ngocc-blasts-govt-for-dragging-esther-lungu-to-court-the-zambian-observer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zambia\/all-news\/hands-off-a-mourning-widow-ngocc-blasts-govt-for-dragging-esther-lungu-to-court-the-zambian-observer","title":{"rendered":"\u201cHands Off a Mourning Widow!\u201d \u2014 NGOCC Blasts Govt for Dragging Esther Lungu to Court – The Zambian Observer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Zambia. <\/strong><\/span>Hands Off a Mourning Widow!\u201d \u2014 NGOCC Blasts Govt for Dragging Esther Lungu to Court<\/p>\n

The Non-governmental Gender Organisations\u2019 Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has condemned the government\u2019s decision to haul former First Lady Esther Lungu to court over the burial dispute of her late husband, President Edgar Lungu, calling it \u201cinhumane\u201d and \u201cill-timed.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a statement issued June 27, NGOCC Chairperson Beauty Katebe said it was unjust to subject a grieving widow to legal stress, describing the move as a betrayal of empathy, compassion, and the nation\u2019s cultural values.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recognise the government\u2019s duty to act in national interest. But taking a widow to court days after her husband\u2019s death is both cruel and insensitive,\u201d Katebe said.<\/p>\n

NGOCC called on authorities and the Lungu family to resolve the issue outside courtrooms, warning that litigation in such emotionally charged circumstances undermines the spirit of ubuntu and unity Zambia prides itself on.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not the time for legal battles, but for healing. Dialogue, not drama, is what the country needs,\u201d said Katebe.<\/p>\n

The organisation urged the government to immediately withdraw the court case and instead pursue mediation to honour the pain of the bereaved and safeguard Zambia\u2019s moral and cultural fabric.<\/p>\n

The burial dispute has stirred national debate, with rising public discomfort over how the matter is being handled. NGOCC\u2019s intervention adds pressure on government officials to reconsider their approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis sets a dangerous precedent. We cannot normalize courtroom confrontations during mourning,\u201d NGOCC cautioned.<\/p>\n

June 27, 2025<\/p>\n

\u00a9\ufe0f KUMWESU<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Zambia<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Zambia. Hands Off a Mourning Widow!\u201d \u2014 NGOCC Blasts Govt for Dragging Esther Lungu to Court The Non-governmental Gender Organisations\u2019 Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has condemned the government\u2019s decision to haul former First Lady Esther Lungu to court over the burial dispute of her late husband, President Edgar Lungu, calling it \u201cinhumane\u201d and \u201cill-timed.\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":74078,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[234,235,233],"class_list":["post-74079","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-zambia","tag-zambia"],"yoast_head":"\n\u201cHands Off a Mourning Widow!\u201d \u2014 NGOCC Blasts Govt for Dragging Esther Lungu to Court - The Zambian Observer - Zambia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zambia\/all-news\/hands-off-a-mourning-widow-ngocc-blasts-govt-for-dragging-esther-lungu-to-court-the-zambian-observer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u201cHands Off a Mourning Widow!\u201d \u2014 NGOCC Blasts Govt for Dragging Esther Lungu to Court - The Zambian Observer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Africa-Press – Zambia. 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