Government has declared a 3 days national mourning for the late Dennis Liwewe who passed away on the early morning of Tuesday due to liver complication.
The period of national mourning will run from Thursday, April 24 to Saturday, April 26, 2014.
Secretary to the Cabinet, Roland Msiska, who confirmed the development to media in a statement this evening, said all flags will fly at half-mast and all radio and television stations will play solemn music from 06:00 hours to 18:00 hours every day, and all activities of entertainment nature should either be postponed or cancelled.
Mr Msiska said burial would be preceded by a Church Service at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross at 09:00 hours.
The renowned Football Commentator will be put to rest this Friday at the Leopards Hill Memorial Park In Lusaka.
His son Ponga Liwewe, has confirmed this in an interview with the media.
Ponga said that the church service will be held at the Anglican Cathedral in Lusaka at 09:00 hours.
Meanwhile, President of the Confederation of African Football Isaa Hayatou has expressed sorrow at the death of veteran Zambian football commentator Dennis Liwewe.
Liwewe, 78, died in Lusaka on Tuesday.
“I would like to express my deepest sympathy on hearing of the death of Dennis Liwewe, a veteran and highly respected voice of the Zambian and African game.”
“Liwewe was a towering figure of African radio live commentaries, a passionate servant of the game whose gigantic standing and contribution to development of radio communication over four decades has served as a reference point and inspiration for many modern day radio broadcasters of Zambian football,” Hayatou wrote in a letter to Football Association of Zambia president Kalusha Bwalya.
He proffered condolences of the African football fraternity saying: “Personally, and on behalf of the members of the African football community, I should be grateful if you could extend our deepest condolences to the family of this doyen of commentaries, to his family, friends and loved ones.
And a memorial church service will be held in South Africa on Wednesday night for Liwewe’s friends based in South Africa.
The Church service will be held at 19 hours at 5 Lamone complex, Nature Street , Northriding.
You inspired a lot more people that you ever had a chance to meet. As a Child my Father will leave Black and White TV we had just showing pictures but remove Volume in preference to our ITT Supersonic Radio.
The 3 days of National Mourning declared in your favour is well earned. Mwende Bwino shikulu. Rest in Eternal Piece. A Life well lived, so Inspiring and uplifting.
I hope Sata will attend this funeral,,,,,,,,
Face to face na kateka!!!!
Old soldiers never die they just fade away. An inspirational man. Well done the state he is deserving of this honor. MHSRIP
A little excessive to be honest.
The man was just a sportsperson. He did well for your country but not national morning. Come on this is ludicrous.
Are you serious ?
Thanks
Yeah, I was there, Liwewe transformed a simple radio set into a high definition colour TV where you watched the boys wallop or get walloped. That was the man. Sadly missed. The punks in cabinet were at a loss to name independence stadium, it could have been “Denis Liwewe Stadium” if they really wanted to honor an icon, instead of a fatuous “Gabon Disaster National Heroes Stadium”. Man! have we got everything skewed all wrong!
#1.1 why do you always think some must be at a funeral. Some of those who attend could even enemies of the dead. you are a very backward and superstitious person. Attending a funeral is voluntary and does not mean those who did not attend hate the person. Man, come off that. Are going to attend yourself together with your clan? Look at yourself and not other people when it comes to voluntary things.
There is nothing wrong with declaring national mourning for such a figure as the late Dennis Liwewe. He played a very important role in uniting the whole nation when it came to football. However, after this period of mourning I think we will need to ask ourselves if we really understand state funerals or declarations of national mourning. We have had a number of them in the last few years if not months. In respect of the late Liwewe and his family, I shall not comment any further. My prayers are with the family. MHSRIP.
“Dennis Liwewe Avenue”…. has been submitted to Solwezi manucipal council to be the new name for stadium road. we’ll remember him each time we walk down that road (even if its dust but its busy)
@BMK, am kind of jealous about that street name for Solwezi, perhaps it should go to some ring road around the new Heroes stadium in Lusaka
Thank you! You have read the cries of the people. This has now made me drop a tear and I am hard nut. Thank you!
I think it would be fitting to rename our stadium and get rid of a name like nation heros late Gabon disaster buffalo aircraft something. Sorry I don’t remember the name. But like all developed countries a national stature in that particular sport like The Liwewe National Staduim would do. Just my opinion.
Thanks
@wanu ngwee… whats wrong in having a liwewe street in solwezi and also in lsk then Kt?
i guess its ok!!
@OldRugsOut,
It’s Rest In Eternal Peace not ‘piece’
Dennis Liwewe popularised football in Zambia. Ironically, people used to throng football stadia after hearing Liwewe’s commentaries. Others would watch a live match on TV whilst listening to Liwewe’s running commentaries on radio.
People even carried radios to the stadia.
Go in peace soldier. You brought soccer to our homes.we could name the entire squad from your commentaries. we never met some of the players in person but u made us known them. may your inspiration never die.
How many right-hands does the reporter have? Everybody in the picture is on the right!
Yeah! I just ignored myself to comment on that right hands. Because, nowadays it has become normal in all Zambian papers to be full of grammatical errors, un annotated images, mislabeled if at, stale news, etc. LT overtakes all the papers in all sorts of errors.
Go to Times of Zambia online paper. If you are busy and just want to read the headlines, I am afraid you won’t be able. Times of Zambia chaps are so fackin lazy they can’t finish the headline sentences. Open online Zambia Daily mail 99% of their images are not annotated. Open any online paper. Even in this day and age they can’t provide images for most of the news items. It’s a shame with Zambian papers.
may his soul rest in peace. I ask the family to put his commentries on CDs. They give some intertaiments the voice that we have always loved to listen to.
Name a stand inside Heroes stadium after him. Like they have sir Alex stand inside Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester.
We cant have all big things named after Malawians. Our airport is called KK intern and now we create another stadium. Why do Zambians still respect foreigners too much such that even malawians dont have respect for you???
@ 6.1 if your so called ‘foreigners’ are the only ones who are able to make a significant mark in our country then so be it that things will be named after them. Stop this pettiness of unnecessarily calling people foreigners! Dennis Liwewe and KK are more Zambian than you will ever by by virtual of their contribution to the country!!
Liwewe was not Malawian. He may or his parents may have originated from there iwe. Is Ponga Malawian? How many Zambian asians do we have in this country.
No, no no, I passionately dispute denying Mr. Denis Liwewe the accolades he deserves as we celebrate the 53 years he lived and shared his life in Zambia where he came as a ‘refuge’ from Malawi and certainly in humility participated in the struggle for our independence and actually became Zambian at independence like every Zambian notwithstanding his known or probably shelved Malawian ancestry or heritage. His wife too came before independence from Zimbabwe, the whole Liwewe family is truly Zambian through and through. I said it before that I met him first time in Chingola in 1962 and each moment Mr. Liwewe and his family have remained patriots of this nation even more than Bankupi above….
…..as alluded to above Mr. Liwewe was not only a renown Football Commentator but an established Journalist and Public/Human Relations expert. Though he was an Anglican, one time he came and lectured to us at then Zambia National Catholic Major Seminary in 1995 at Mpima in Kabwe and passionately lectured like it was football commentary in Public/Human Relations professional etiquette when I attempted to study for priesthood. You see that this man was an all-rounder activist for social, spiritual and human development, so those who did not experience nor appreciate what this man contributed to this nation should just keep quiet and let us celebrate his life of even being a good person, husband, parent and citizen, May His Soul Rest In Eternal Peace!
Sorry I meant that Mr. Liwewe part/time lectured to students at the mentioned Catholic Major Seminary at Mpima in 1975 not 1995 excuse typographic error!
Will all miss Dennis but what does the law or is it the constitution say about national mourning, who gets it and who doesn’t?
It’s presidential discretion for non ministers .
Forever to be remembered. Would have wished it was 30 days! May his soul rest in peace.
Ati funyako volume ku TV so that tuleumfwa Commentary from Liwewe as we watch the Alex chola, chabala, soko, mankika,kalu,mwitwa, chale,! Anyway alimukali umufyashi.
I was also there…..I agree with you my man!
Great Dennis Liwewe obituary on BBC sport page http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27112139
RIP
kanshi naimwe mulatamba ama feebles yakwa kirikou? its nice, black cartoons for our african children.
Good decision bwana president.He deserves it.
Dennis Liwewe was a Legend, no doubt about that, But Three days national morning?? It is a bit over the top. One day national mourning, coupled with one minute silence before matches, would have entirely sufficed and enhanced respect. The problem is that we overdo things and turn honorable things into rituals and the seriousness evaporates. Or is this going to be turned into political posturing also like Easter Church Service was?
Pumula ka koozo, Hamba kahle, Lala ngoxolo! Honestly, whether Sata’s zealots like this or nor I do not care, how I wish it was Ukwa Sata CNP who kicked the bucket and not this most humble of men. Halleluiah!
Wish not ill Will on your fellow man, let alone your elders and leaders. God gives us the leaders we deserve. Zambia the way it is now needs a brute like Sata, or General Miyanda. The modern generation have lost their collective minds. Great are we at commerce but forgotten is history.
His unique and gifted contribution to soccer commentary transended borders as he had proteges in the whole of the Africa. We pray for his family and ask them to celebrate his life with the knowledge that he was such a gift not only for the Zambia, but to all soccer loving people. May his dear soul rest in peace!
Who is right, center and who is left?
@mushota.we all know that you are insane but try to use your remaining brains to think.dennis was a national asset,a family man.if you use your bring to think,you should have first condemned your govt when it accorded national mourning to a simple DC from mufulira who died of lighting.even a mad man knows denis.there is time to joke,time to be serious.as if that’s not enough,two unknown missionaries from n\w province were giving national mourning and what more denis?
My friend you are wasting your time commenting about Mushota. He/she doesn’t know Denis Liwewe. Anyone who doesn’t know any particular person can’t really be affected so much as those who encountered or got affected by the deeds of such a person. So, don’t blame Mushota. He/she will not feel as the rest of us who knew Denis. Therefore, let her comment freely according to his/her knowledge or lack of it.
We hear you Peter. Thanks for the advice which helps most of us. I saw sis Cindy get her hands scorched oneday by he/she and has since stayed away. I wish he/she came with a health warning on LT. Can one sue LT? I have been warned by he/she to watch my back and now I am quivering with fear!
State Funerals have no value in Zambia, neither are they understood.
iwe ulalanda ifya mano. i think napeza!!!! ka wedding ati shani mama. ine am very much reade(ready)
Mushota umwana wa galu
Iwe, why are you mentioning me. I didn’t take Liwewe
It is great to see Haroon Ghumra after decades. He was a personality on Sports Review on ZNBC a long time ago. I am glad to learn he is still associated with sports in Zambia. But umwana wa galu (Mushota) above is as useless as ever I wish I had met its father.
Another fu and dogi @Ngombala Muhapi wa Linaha – munyukunyuku
I am gonna differ with other. I won’t say Denis Liwewe rest in peace. Dead people are not conscious of the environment. So they can’t have an alternative between peace and troubled states. In that case I will say:
Denis Liwewe Zambia etc in general will miss you, and I in particular will miss you, too. And may Jehovah God give strength and encouragement to his relatives and close friends who are more deeply affected and in anguish.
Iwe not every body is a chitawala just use the word God ….
Imwe Bantu please don’t respond to mushotas comments, treat it like Lucifer, Lucifer seeks to be recognised even when it knows that it can’t win. Mushota is a serpent.
@mwansa kapya Kikikikikikikikikikiki!
Respect! MHSRIP!
@CACTUS
I know you live here in England and probably you know very little on what Liwewe did pa Zambia. Just shut up and leave it for those who understand things to speak.
@UMWAUME, Dennis Liwewe and I worked in ZCCM. So, work it out young man. But that aside, your total lack of capacity to bring out credible counter-points and debate like a mature person clearly shows you are a young boy mentally, who is unsuccessfully trying to sound grown-up. You need to work on your debating skills and drop the cadre mentality and language if you hope to excel in life. Free advice.
Dennis rest in peace till we send Sata(n) to disturb you and others around.
Go well, Dennis. A hero of Zambian sports.
Though he has passed, he remains unforgettable to many of us who enjoyed his dynamic style of commentary and his enthusiasm for Zambian soccer.
As a Malawian, I still remember Dennis Liwewe when we used to suffer a lot of defeats in the hands of the KK11 at Dag Hammerskjold Stadium in Ndola. Everytime we lost possession of the ball, Dennis could say and I quote ‘what a poor pass from a poor man from a poor country under the poor leadership of Dr. Banda’ meaning former president Kamuzu Banda. Dennis totally forgot that he came from Nkhotata Kota in Malawi
@ Kamtozanga,
Thats how Zambian he was, he never looked at himself as anything else but gave himself to Zambia entirely, a true son of the sun, MHSRIP.
@Kamtozanga,
That is what you would expect from any asylum seeker in a new country of refuge, they denounce their country of origin in the strongest possible terms.
@The London Eye,
Is that your personal experience in diaspora?
The man was a very extraodinary person.I remember the sense of loss I experienced when he retired from active commentary.This sense of loss equates to his depature from us.Great man indeed.RIP Denis…..
Chitalu is going … Ucar is going …….. Zee pa Radio 30 seconds … It is a goal Ucar like a knife going thru melting butter Rip Dennis I feel privileged to have experienced those days of radio commentary ….. mwan wa kwitu… till we meet again ..
Tusheni Bwino Shikulu!what an icon! you are
such a soccer legend.
As much as i will mourn Deniss, i know he had his royalty to Malawi. I will mourn him as an African hero and not through 3 days of national mourning in Zambia.
Mwendi umampha asibweni. Tamukumana ku chanya para mazuba yamara ta mukwimba haleluya.
I THINK DENNIS LIWEWE HAS DIED WITH A HAPPY SOUR BECOZ HE ESORTED CHIPOLOPOLO NATIONAL TEAM TO GABON AND BROUGHT THE AFCON A THING HE REALY WANTED IN A VERY LONG TIME. MHSRP.
Dear Bloggers, Do we remember that Dennis used to say”I shall not die untill Zambia brings home the Africa Cup”? We brought the cup in 2012 and today he is no more.
Ala KaMushota ulikaloshi, elu ulikakolwe nakapato. Lets be serious sometimes before you vomit nonsense. Ask yourself a question. Who is Dennis Liwewe? What has he done for Football in Zambia? What has he done in general for the morale of the country regardless of political machination of any sort? Long time ago many of us didn’t have the luxury of tele by then with a black and white tv if U’re lucky. We used to a football match but with radios wanting to listen to the voice of hope and many footballer’s would die a little for Zambia and Liwewe as well. This noble Man is our Mandela of Zambian football. He deserves a national mourning and I applaud the Government for doing just that. MISRIP this is a big substitution for Team Zambia but we shall continue to defend with 5-3-2 formation.
It is ok to have Dennis Liwewe street everywhere in Zambia and Malawi than Simon Mwansa Kapwempwe who was a tribalism and does not deserve to be named for the Ndola airport that his fellow tribalism Sata renamed the airport.
This guy was something else…and he was a definitely a rare African talent.I remember always palming my nzeru radio to make sure I got the commentary right…but to my disappointment…just before a goal…the dull nzeru could lose the reception.
ONE DAY ON THE DAY OF BURIAL WOULD HAVE SUFFICED, THREE DAYS IS EXCESSIVE NOT TO MENTION THAT IT DISTURBS THE REVENUE GENERATION OF THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. THAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH COSMETIC CHRISTIANS ANIONE ANIONE! ATI NILI A CHIFUNDO