PRESIDENT BANDA yesterday led thousands of mourners in viewing the body of late second Republican President Dr Frederick Chiluba in a peaceful and sombre mood punctuated by wailing from relatives and members of the public who thronged Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC) in Lusaka.
Thousands of other Zambians watched the solemn occasion from big screens mounted at official mourning centres across the country, while others witnessed the event from the privacy of their homes.
President Banda and First Lady Thandiwe, together with Vice-President George Kunda and his wife, Ireen, walked in at about 10:20 hours after which Dr Chiluba’s body was brought in by defence and security personnel.
This was soon after the arrival of the cortege from St Ann’s Funeral Parlour with Dr Chiluba’s body on a gun carriage.
As soon as the brown casket containing Dr Chiluba’s body, draped in the national flag, was brought in, the audience burst out in deafening wails. Covering of the body in the national flag is symbolic that the state accepts the full responsibility for the departed’s burial and his contribution to the nation.
At the end of the burial tomorrow, the flag will be handed over to a family representative.
The defence and security choir sang a solemn tune as the carrying party marched in with Dr Chiluba’s body.
President Banda and Vice-President Kunda, service chiefs, Speaker of the National Assembly, the Chief Justice, Cabinet Ministers, members of Parliament, diplomats accredited to Zambia and the bereaved family received the casket.
Others present were permanent secretaries, traditional leaders, chiefs, opposition party leaders NAREEP president Elias Chipimo, Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) president Edith Nawakwi and United Liberal Party (ULP) president Sakwiba Sikota.
Sobs from the bereaved family and a huge picture of a smiling Dr Chiluba in front of the casket evoked sorrowful emotions from members of the public who filled the MICC’s main auditorium.
The national anthem by the Zambia Army brass band preceded an opening prayer by Reverend Major Moffat Nyambe, who thanked God for the service Dr Chiluba rendered to Zambia.
Maj Nyambe prayed for love and unity in the bereaved family.
Zambia Army chaplain Lieutenant Colonel Vincent Mwenya gave a homily from John 11:25-26, after which President Banda opened the body viewing ceremony, followed by Mr Kunda and his wife Ireen.
Service chiefs, Speaker of the National Assembly and Chief Justice and their spouses, ministers, MPs, diplomats, chiefs and the clergy also viewed the body.
Some of the people who served in Dr Chiluba’s Government such as MsNawakwi and former Presidential Affairs Minister Eric Silwamba broke into tears as they viewed his body.
Defence and security officers, who marched in groups of five, preceded Dr Chiluba’s widow, Regina, and children, and ex-wife Vera in viewing the body.
Mrs Chiluba prayed amid sobs, thanking God for the time she spent with DrChiluba.
“From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, I thank you for the life of your man servant. Father I thank you for the time I spent with my husband. I worship you; you are worthy to be worshipped,” Mrs Chiluba prayed before her son helped her away.
Waving at Dr Chiluba’s picture as she approached the casket, she said: “I loved you so much. I will always love you.”
Dr Chiluba’s children led by his daughter, Mrs Hellen Chiluba Kapapa, wept as they viewed the body.
After this, body viewing was opened to members of the public who flocked to MICC in large numbers.
Columns of mourners in their thousands thronged MICC to pay their last respects to Dr Chiluba.
Dr Chiluba, 68, who died on June 18 at about 00:05 hours, will be put to rest tomorrow at Embassy Park in Lusaka.
He is survived by a widow, Regina, 10 children – Miko, Hellen, Hortensia, Jane, Huldah, Verocia, Darlington, Frederick Junior, Chongo and Kaindu, as well as 21 grandchildren.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
There is time for everything.
LT be professional the picture and the caption dont much. Whats wrong with u guys are stressed. My Chiluba rest in peace
Was Sata there or he’s still scared of the unknown.
Really sad not only for the family but the entire nation. he has died quite a young man. MHSRIP
very sad indeed. Imfwa ibi bane. I know hoe it feels loosing a loved one. May this family find strength and courage to go past this.
May the almight God take full control Zambia as a country, tomorrow as the former president will be put to rest. May the Lord also comfort every one that has been touched by this death, may God also have mercy and forgive every one that have said negative coments on the late former president. Amen
Go well and you will find Ronald Penza, Baldwin Nkumbula, Richard Ngenda, Paul Tembo and Wezi Kaunda. Only God knows the truth.
Im sure he is in big trouble. All those lives he took. There is no dribbling where he is. im sure he is being dealt with.
Judge not my friend for we are all born sinners. You have no proof that Chiluba ever did anything to all these people.
Spot on Kashimani, I agree,
Good bye CHILUBA see you on the other side,may works follow you.CHEERIO!!
Good bye CHILUBA see you on the other side,may your works and deeds follow you.CHEERIO!!
Its over, over kwasila ayenda, kulibe kubwela. Time for evrything indeed!!!!
Shame, Ba Vera?? My FTJ R.I.P really sad for the Family. We are with you in Prayer.
Really sad to see pictures of the family wailing. Farewell Chiluba and may God show his unfailing mercy on your soul. RIP +++
Frederick Chiluba, Zambia’s first democratically elected president.MHSRIP
Chiluba was Zambia’s “liberator” in 1991 after 27 years of single party Socialist rule.Remember them days when you couldn’t mention KK for wrong reason for fear of being prosecuted by the so called CID.RIP Kafupi,got none but love.
Despite political differences, we will miss our beloved president. condolences the the family
God well Dr. Chiluba!!! It just that you had to go first. We are all destined to the same place. We shall definately find you there. MYSRIP.
Sad indeed. I guess the Chiluba family is just like any other family. They loved each other. We can see their pain and we can only pray for them.
Who is the taliban in the last picture!!??
It feels bad. So its true he is gone. Just worried for the children and two widows.
People there is he’ll and heaven do not just say we shall meet there,where?work out your destination when you are still able to do so. Sad to see the wailing may God be praised in all times. Whatever we know about FTJ, God is the real and only judge. Wish the whole family God’s blessing in this trying moment.
There is time to born and time to die. What we can say is that death attacks everyone in life.So last respect to pre chiluba is that M.H.S.R.I.P. Good bye see you.
I feel sorry for ba Vera Tembo, the kids and grandchildren… The Taliban man is Osama re- incarnation… ailefye mukupweneka…
Sad am sure Mactribouy has seen the sorrow he caused the former presido…must be a big blow for the likes of Eric who spent so much time with the man…
Have you stopped to consider how much pain Chiluba caused to Regina Mwanza’s husband or how much suffering he caused to MacTribouy and his family by falsely imprisoning him, leading to his painful death?
He was truelly a Great man,My his soul rest in eternal peace
#3. PF leader viewed the body of our late President FTJ Chiluba this morning. MHSRIP.
Judy Mactriboy is great the former president now. He died from the jail sufferings and diseases not long after his release. May there souls rest in peace.
Sorry Judy I meat greeting
Ba Sata paid his last respect this morning, its time dissolve parliament now please.
There is no point in discussing the absence of Sata at FTJ’s funeral. After all we know that he did not even attend Castrol’s funeral. Sata vowed to punish FTJ. However, all families experience death and therefore look-up to well-wishers for consolation and sympathetic care. The message emanating from Sata and his followers is crystal-clear. Zambians have now realised that it would be folly to entrust their welfare in Sata’s slippery hands. The man has strange human genes expressed by his unforgiving, vengeful, deceptive mind-set. At this dark hour, Zambians should merely exhibit civilised behavior to mourn Chiluba according to our noble African cultures. Thank God Sata is not President and FTJ has died a FREE Man.
Ba Malama naimwe. I really thought you were describing FTJ when you said “slippery hands. The man has strange human genes expressed by his unforgiving, vengeful, deceptive mind-set”. lol. FTJ may be your relative but we all know what he did. All the same we send you our condolenses.
it,s a pity we’r losing great leaders with great wisdom, Dr chiluba opened zambians to the whole world unlike whe we were in closed state, bravo Doc, mulale mumutende batata
Check Zedleaks.com. Sata was there today at 09:25 paying respect to the late FTJ.
You did your part Fred. Its human to error. God is ever forgiving. Go Well Old Man.
its sad seein him lay there and seeing the family cry.MHSRIP
@23 john zulu, is that true? did mr sata finally find the mental strength to succumb to the overwhelming weight of emotion for his late colleague? did he manage to unschackle himself from the post, momentarily at least? if your comment was true (i know that it isn’t), that would be half the job done, would he then find the mental strength to again defy his jailors the post, and complete his grief and mourning by consoling the bereaved family? the “mourning” is not complete for mr sata to catch a “stealthy” glimpse of his late colleague without consoling the bereaved family too. what are friends for if they are too ashamed to console your family when you are gone? in fact, are they real friends?
Please leave SATA ALONE! Why can’t you people talk about other things apart from SATA. What has he done to you? He is also human and knows what he is doing and there is a reason why he is taking long to make that decision. But let us focus on the death itself and not why Mr Sata is not going there. Although I’m not a PF member but I think Sata is now being used as a scapegoat by evil people.
Sata was there today at 09.25. Check the Zedleaks.com.
Good riddance to this rubbish, how many of our people have died cos his crap.
You can now clearly see Mactribouy’s fruits manifesting itself right before your very own eyes, on the third picture to the left of the girl in white? Congratulations to Mactribouy, ali ka dribbler ka FTJ & a kalala is there as the truth the chap scored a live one in Vera. Chiluba was an unrepentant SOB who deserved nothing but what he has got. Though I wonder how a former president can be brought in dead (BID) & the government is cowed by stupid relatives to skip a postmortem, only in Zambia can such things happen. As for Banda, that a sinister lumpens like Ben Katanga Mwila could force him to cancel a postmortem clearly shows “Pontius Pilates” are still alive & well among us.
iwe kapuli that is mikos child….
Perhaps it is clear now why providence did not allow Chiluba to go to prison knowing his medical history. If the man had died in prison, all hell would have broken loose with the dogs of war. God loves Zambia so much. It is a pity that Zambians don’t love their country that much.
“A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.” Ecc 7:1. Chiluba called upon the NAME of Jesus. THAT and THAT ALONE, is a good name.
So this what a million dollar funeral looks like, huh?
@34 Champ
The money goes to pay for the overtime, logistics, food and such for the security personnel, relatives and friends and the wide screens they have set up to broadcast nationwide. I know it is a waste, but when you think of it, it is not much. The UK’s Metropolitan police spent much, much much more on William and Kate’s wedding. These State functions don’t come cheap. Best thing is not to get the State involved full stop!
Commander-in -Thief. I hope God will be merciful on you.
God is forever merciful. I just can’t understand why Zambians have become so unforgiving. Hate just destroys the hater and not the person who is hated. Live, love and forgive…you might reach old age.
After budgeting ZMK 4.6 billion, I am disappointed that there were people sitting on the floor! The former presiden’t grand children sat on the floor was we see above. Not even Vera Tembo- Chiluba, a deputy minister, who had Chiluba’s 9 children could be respected with a CHAIR. She also sat on the floor as reported by the Post. Quite disappointing and seems disorganised! MWADYA MWEKA DADDIES for sure!
Its a sad moment for the family. may God be with them. But what church did chiluba belong to?
What iz the significance of body-viewing somebody you see every day when they die?
This morning I went to pay my last respect to Fredrick Chiluba at the Mulungushi Coference Center where his body is lying in state. I decided to go to Mulungushi without any security at all. I knew Fredrick before Dora Siliya was born. I want to assure the Zambian people I cannot be intimidated by MMD carders. Fredrick was not only president but a friend from old days in the union, we differed politically like many other, and just as differ with the current president in the manner is running the government.
As an ardent catholic I was obliged to retreat and pray for the soul of FTJ and violent free election. I did not need to announce to the nation that I have retreated.
It’s time for him to account for all his wrong doing here on earth………
a teaching to all,,,,,, especially politicians who treat others badly and steal wives and girlfriends
Its time you reflect on your life, and question where you will spent your eternity. Death can come to anyone at any time.If you were to die today where would you go? HEAVEN is real so is HELL.Choose life,now is the time never think of tomorrow.
Rest in peace bro, may the good lord be with your family during this hard moments.
7 days national mourning + 1 day public holiday = 8 days for a body lying in state only in Zambia!!
ODE TO CHILUBA
Commander-in-Thief.
Now you will answer to the Chief Accountant above
Commander-in-Thief
Your books are filled with corruption and thieving
Commander-in-Thief
Zambians trusted you and you let them down
Commander-in-Thief
The people you betrayed still cry for your
Commander-in-Thief
But before God, you reap what you sow
Commander-in-Thief
No tears for you in heaven only Brine and pain
Iwe ka Nubian Chatile! uli Fonteen sana ! Thy shall respect the dead. MHSRIP. GREAT ZAMBIAN SON
kapuli kobe ka nubian
And you ‘Nubian useless’ shall account for your casting of stone at ‘the command in thief’ to the Chief Accountant! After all, we’re all appointed for the meeting with the ‘Chief Accountant.
Levy’s son quits MMD, joins PF
I’ve read all the comments, save for the unintelligent, myopic comments made by nubian princess. Go well titus, go well..
All you hos that take other women’s husbands ought to know that the pain you caused the wife and children will come back to you threefold.
All men have the same lies, “oh my marriage is bad”
“Really? So why the hell are you still in it?”
In other words, a man who wants to get out of a marriage gets a divorce first before whoring.
so bi.tch.es be ware!
“Official Mourning Centres”! So nakwena balenaya ubwali bwachililo? Little wonder uwachimona nge penga, Ronnie Shikapono is asking for people to donate K4.6 billion.
when i went for body viewing this morningat micc, fjt looked like he was just lying there, like somebody taking a nap, so serene. some people die in pain when they think about their failure to forgive others when they were still alive. and then it dawned on me that fjt died a peaceful death, content at what he had accomplished as a human being when he was on earth, the rest he left to his God. and to mention special thanks to rb for his human, forgiving and large heart for fellow human beings.
Ambassador Saint Ann baba, you will come out of a fatal accident and they will make you look like you died of whilst high on something!!!
fortunately, and thanks to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the vast majority of zambians are still human beings, far outnumbering the few pockets of evil in our midst. zambians i salute you, yesterday and today at body viewing you have demonstrated this loudly to those who know only evil. even “some sections of the media” must be touched.
In what capacity did Chanda Chimba III benefit from media equipment from the NCC? In fact, a number of individuals have benefitted from the distribution of NCC equipment. The best that could have been done was an auction of the same rather than the “free” distribution of the equipment. Someone, the Auditor-General, ACC and DEC, must investigate this rot.
@30 you are right..why should it matter if Sata does or not…what business is it of yours..Have you been yourselves..do not be miserable people…Every curse you make/think against Sata is a blessing to his life saith my GOD…
Kafupi FTJ you thief Hamba Kahle, you killed so many pipo in hospitals because you stole all the money for medicines. Lesa bane ni malyotola tepapa waya down. No tears from me sorry
Its official SATA went for body viewing this afternoon now what are you going to say now the man is too smart for you when you least expect him when he lands its a 10-0 once again your stuns are nothing but cheap his a step ahead of you. IT’S ON RECORD HIS ATTENDED THE BODY VIEWING shame on WACKO WILLIAM BANDA and you DOGS
Its Good ba Satan have gone to mourn the friend.
In this trying moment,lets mourn our late President…Lets cross our political lines and mourn this Gallant son of ZAMBIA.I commend all Opposition party presidents and in particuller Mr. Sata for putting all speculations to rest! that’s leadership…
It is realy sad to lose such a carisma man may the Lord jesus recieve him. He made christians know their rights. A preaching president he was as Benn used to call him. Rest in peace Bro Chiluba
znbc tv news at 19.00hrs has confirmed and shown that mr sata attended body viewing this morning at 09.00hrs. that is as it should be, although he looked like someone who has been forced to do it. mechanically he motioned the catholic cross but there was no emotion in him at all and he looked like saying “good riddance, now you cannot campaign against me”. i understand he resisted a lot of pressure from members of the clergy for him to show some respect for his late colleague. rumour has it that maybe a phone call from the one who knows him best from the unip days finally did the trick. yes i mean his excellency rupiah bwezani banda, many pf cadres are in denial that mr sata was ever a prominent leader in unip and of course mmd!! when you talk about chnage remember facts correctly okay?
AUTHUR WINA HAS BEEN ERASED AS THE FOUNDER OF MMD and that Chiluba was just picked strategically because he was a unionist popular to a labour force that was a driving force to the movement. Chiluba did not mourn the FOUNDER OF MMD as a pioneer of democracy in ZAMBIA the title so hijacked by CHILUBA he could not make it on his on Actually the greatest pioneer of democracy was KK had he not signed the amendment of the constitution we were not going to see this democracy so it was not chilubas power but the power was with KK as a matter of fact him KK said “the will steal in the night and day ati tu filile mu nsenga” all came to pass and we did not reflect on what old man told us the reality is chiluba’s good are out weighed by his bads the good thing is he in the end he found the lord
Spoken like a true Zambian, On this day I am proud to stand besides you and call you a fellow citizen, lets honor KK for signing the constitutional Amendment and Arthur Wina the brains behind the MMD. Big Fred played his part but he stood on the shoulders of great men before him. We honor him as second republican president, that’s all.
Ha, Chiluba, ka tamahani ka lunya tuna ka timezi. Mane inge lisheha tate, neba miyoko ya ngandu siinda mashela mukulu ku milalelo moni ta pazauhanela nisa i lili, ka lukehile ka bbushu kani.
hahahahahha ashuuu mawee, mwana poho yensu, faaa ne li na mane akuna seni utwile no pain at all. Ka imingeu kani.
“Why should Sata prove to this world everyday that he’s alive? Rupiah Banda was not at the funeral (Chiluba’s) but only after a few days. He was meeting his Malawian counterpart. Did we say he is dead? And when he came he cried so hard because his consultant was dead.”
RIP Fred, it’s funny even your passing just makes these MMD cowards whine about Sata
Its amazing how even thieves are eugolised in death! I guess we are just being real, the only good thief is a dead one. May his tiny ass burn in hell! The best news ever from Zambia.
Well said #60. Chiluba is not a pionner of democracy in Zambia. Zambians are easily misled. RIP Chiluba
These are the dignitaries coming to grace Chiluba’s cremation: Moses Katumbi (Katangese), Benjamin Mkapa (Nwacusa), Joseph Kabila (Kaboke), Morgan Tsvangirai (Goregore), Miria Obote (Luganda). Late Mobutu’s wife, Bobiladawa.
Opposition Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata this morning paid his last respect to late Second Republican President Frederick Chiluba’s remains at Mulungushi International Conference Center in Lusaka.
Mr. Sata, who was accompanied by PF Chairperson for Finance Emmanuel Chenda, visited Mulungushi much to the surprise of some mourners who queued with him to view the body of the former head of state.
Low-key-the mystery over exactly how he died will continue to fuel legal wranglig conspiracy theories & family strains like what talked those lowers about & those MP’S?May He Rest In Peace yes but pls don’t make him out to be this god saving saint beco’s he was not.Amem
This is it my president,rest in eternal peace!
#44 Iwe ka Nubian Chatile! uli Fonteen sana ! Thy shall respect the dead. MHSRIP. GREAT ZAMBIAN SON
PF president Michael Chilufya Sata this morning attended body viewing of his former colleague second President Chiluba. When his time to pass on comes, Mr Sata will be remembered as the former District Governor in the UNIP government who was one of the architects of UNIP slogans like “wamuyaya”, “kumulu lesa, panshi kaunda”, “UNIP mulilo, uwaikatako wapya” and other slogans that indicate a love for dictatorship. In an effort to cleanse him, PF would like to erase our memory of his past by suggesting that he is a principled man who just “dropped” from somewhere and carries a message of change from heaven, when all along he has been in UNIP, defected to MMD and then defected to PF. Typical political prostitute although he doesn’t see himself as one.
RIP my beloved president.you followed KK’s footsteps of continuing to unite all the 72+ tribes not these tribalists who want to hijack our beloved country. God forbide.
And life goes on, period.
Our Beloved zambian son, we thank God for the amazing life you lead. Zambia shall be saved by God as we are a christian nation for generations to come.
Rest in Peace Dr. Chiluba. He showed that an incumbent could also lose power in an elections in Africa. May his success inspire more people in Africa to work towards better and participatory governance. And may we also learn from his mistakes. Fare thee Well, son of Zambia and Africa at large. Odhiambo Paul, Nairobi, Kenya.
# 27 D S Malama. I really thought you were describing FTJ when you said “Slippery hands. The man has strange human genes expressed by his unforgiving, vengeful, deceptive mind-set”. lol. FTJ may be your relative but we all know what he did to the country and rivals. All the same we send you our condolenses
Present At The Funeral
#K5 Billion
#One sitting Head of State, and only managed to come because thanks to his pone Katumbe (a creation of the late Chiluba)
#Former Head of State of Tanzania, of course he has time on his hand and why not enjoy the K5 Billion
#Not elected, but adopted Prime Minister of Zimbabwe.
#Outgoing President LB Banda
#Follow the leader Vice President George Kuanda
#Former head of state, Statesman Dr.D.K.Kaunda, who one Christmas in this Christian Nation was imprisoned of dubious charges.
#Ex-wife, 2nd wife and former 1st Lady Vera
#Former mistress, current wife and inheritor of the $46 million safely tacked away
#Cadres
#Cadres
#Cadres
#Cadres
#Cadres
#Cadres
#Chief Cadres William “Ubupuba Chifyalilo” Banda
:((
May his soul rest in eternal peace.He really brought Development and Civilization to this country.He shall be greatly missed and remembered for his had work despite the trials he went thru after his term in office as the president.MHSRIP
What is the thing that is on top of the mrs. chiluba’s chitambala? chabipa!
any the chiengi people off luapula told him, three days down the road he was gone.
fear chiengi ,people.
who cried the most between the two women? even after the death of a man women can still compete, so sad! don’t worry he has been judged already by the almighty, who cannot be bribed with anything, intelligence, status or money.
number 81, walasa!
Dr.FTJ’s death is a very sad development for us Zambians indeed.The most important thing he did for us is the declaration of of country as a Christian nation(those who are not saved will count this as foolish) but hey,thats the best we can get from a leader.May the good Lord Jesus Christ himself remember chiluba for this.Sleep well papa.
SATAn finally went with croc tears! I wish he never coz he is heartless! He shud not expect an evacuation to SA this tym around we kno finess tapali, we shal jus say Chabipa ba comedian.
#87 , you are very much right my brother, only christians will understand the importance of “declaration of our country as a Christian nation.” Thats why the bible says “My people will perish because of lack of knowledge” We need to see that Dr Chiluba was sent by God. Please people understand we are a choosen and blessed nation. I tell you am happy to be part of this country. Rest well man of God, Dr Chiluba
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