A small ant-hill will be buried in the half grave that was prepared for the former First Lady Mama Betty Kaunda at Lubwa Mission in Chinsali District of Muchinga Province where she was initially to be buried.
Senior Chief Nkula of the Bemba speaking People of Chinsali disclosed this in Mpika today when Colonel Panji Kaunda in the company of Chinsali District Commissioner Evelyn Kangwa and her Mpika counterpart Moses Katebe, visited the chief this morning to ask for forgiveness.
Chief Nkula said since the grave was dug halfway, he will ask his Indunas to go there and perform some rituals, which will include picking an ant-hill within the area and burying it in the grave in order to appease the ancestral spirits.
The traditional ruler said that traditionally, the grave that has been dug is not allowed to stay overnight or for some days without burying someone there.
He said that having had some changes in the burial program of the former first lady and following an apology logged by the eldest son of the Kaunda family, he has accepted the apology and will proceed to do some rituals.
The chief said there is no problem in the former first lady being buried in Lusaka adding that what has caused the change is something very serious and has allowed the Kaunda family to proceed with the burial in Lusaka.
He said he will also find time to visit first Republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda so that he can officially mourn Mama Kaunda who died at the age of 83.
Chief Nkula who is yet to shift to Chinsali said Mama Kaunda contributed greatly during the liberalisation struggle adding that she will be greatly missed by many Zambians.
Earlier, colonel Panji said he had decided to visit the chief and ask for forgiveness following the changes that have been made with regards to the final resting place of her mother.
He said it was not easy to change the programme adding that personally, he wanted his mother to be buried in Chinsali, but that due to other circumstances beyond the family’s control, the burial site had to be moved from Chinsali to Lusaka.
He said that it was not easy to make the changes and therefore asked the chief on behalf of the family for forgiveness, especially that arrangements at the burial site had started.
“Your Royal Highness the grave was dug halfway and this is what has forced us to come back to ask for forgiveness because it is untraditional to abandon a grave that has been dug,” said Colonel Kaunda.
Mama Betty Kaunda died in Harare, Zimbabwe, last week on Wednesday.
She was born to Kaweche Banda and Milika Sakala Banda in Chitulika village in Mpika district of Muchinga province on November 17, 1928.
Mama Kaunda went to school at Mbereshi Girls and did her training at Mindoro Ecumenical Women’s Program in Kitwe and worked as a teacher in Mufulira.
She was the wife of First Republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda who ruled Zambia from 1964 to 1991 when his ruling United Nation for Independence Party (UNIP) lost to Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD).
The former first lady is survived by a husband, 8 children, 30 grand children and 11 great grand children.
ZANIS
Awe mwandi kuchita apologize pakubembisha ichilindi chama hara.
Col. we stand by you. we would all have loved Mama Betty to rest in Chinsali, History is history. May Her Soul Rest in Peace
thats the way to go panji. apology accepted. lets go ahead and put our mother to rest.
Ba chief baletinya pamenso!
Hahahahaha. Ok taumfwa iwe.
What’s wrong with being buried in Chinsali, everyone dies and the return to the soil it don’t matter whether you are buried in Parliament or State house, lets move on!!
(r) right, (c) center, (l) left, second from left, left centre, right – total chaos, confusion!
i am confused mwandi,LT try to report nicely please
Inevitable situations calls for apologies. Thanks brave col. Panji
Is the chief blind, i cant see his eyes openning clealy. I think traditionally the senior chief must choose one subject (from his chiefdom) to be burried alive in the same grave. Burying an ant hill wont help mizimu/spirit will be haunting the villagers. The CV for mama is too short, what about her brothers/sisters? parents unlces and why their was no debate of burying her ku chipata cos. i see that both are parents are easterners.
in 1928 did we have these provinces we see today?..people settled everywhere
Tooooooooooooo much dobo
Panji, your father said Lusaka and why did you “Komplikati” things for the old man. Keep quiet without allowing everyone comment on her buriel. Think about your oldman’s situation and don’t send him to the grave soon.
Pa Zed…
#6 Ndeloleshafye, true. The bearings here are confusing, i guess they lost the compass for a while, lol. RIP mama Betty
U-Turn number 172, in PF rule.
why waste govt resources..you would have called that induna and let them know..why perform such rituals..yaba!
Typical Bemba thief this kacheif. Look at the face
What rituals thats idol or ancestral worship which is an abomination since that grave is at a mission and MAMA Betty was a christian. God forgive people of this land which is a christian nation but some people are still embended in ancestral worship oh my foot.
Amen Paul
You are entitled to your opinion, and I will defend your right just as I will defend those entitled to observing tradition as they see fit, without hurting anybody.
And whats wrong with ancestral worship?
Betty was never from Chinasali i doubt she ever went there much. Betty was from Eastern Province malambo district where her relatives are. What relatives does KK have in Chinsali to look after his wife’s grave no one since he is also not from there just trying to score points. Panji himself has a farm in Sinde Misale eastern province why does he not bury his mother there. These people are jokers just wanted Mama Betty to be buried in some far off place where they wont go. Kaundas parents just went there to visit from Malawi
When a woman marries she shifts to her husband’s village Thats african custom
Imwe bantu surely; am so disappointed with ba Lusaka Times management- people have complained ever since you came online about your reporters. do you just give deaf ear or you don’t seem to realize the very serious, yet obvious mistakes your reporters keep making? its so embarrassing considering that this is an online platform. Just read your caption statement on the main picture, not to talk of the issue of misappropriate bearings already alluded to. we are sick and tired of the nonsense: MUCHINJE!!!!!!!!!
Koma ni caption iyi! Yaba mwebantu……
No apologies warranted.
Whats with the kapaso and black furniture iwe chief?
Ukala, you have written sense even if niwe chabe chipuba. Betty comes from Malambo not Chinsali. KK can’t go to Chinsali because he was told never to set foot unless he goes back with childhood friend Simon who died during the time he disagreed with super kk and Chinsalians believe he sorted the friend out. Imwe afumu kasiyeni kacHulu.
The chief will bury a local villager alive in that grave, so bena chinsali go into exile otherwise u will be a victim. Once the chief chooses who to bury alive no u turn or second choice.
#19 and 16 You are missing a point here, yes Mama Betty last names suggets she is from Eastern province no dougbt about, but the thing is that she was born in Chinsali and grew up there and married KK who was also born in Chinsali despite his Parents coming from Malawi. So in short Betty and KK lives and their roots began in Chinsali, the place which have had alot of influence,history and contributions in KK family life, be it politically, socially etc thats why KK and Betty considered Chinsali as their homeland. Eastern province never had much influence in history of mama betty and maybe thats why KK family wanted her to be burried in Chinsali her place of birth, despite her parents being from Chipata.
What has Chansali got to show for having been the the place where the first president came from. It is like Lusaka west which had no tarred road despite having had the prime minister masheke coming from there. In the 1980’s when he was coming from there, the roads were so bad that he had to be flown in a ZAF helicopter to and from work
Ka chief nakalyilapo, so kaba chagile shinga?
And why is he pretending to be Ngoni with that headgear? Or these chaps acquired some of the tradition after being defeated by the Ngoni’s as they passed through to go to Tanzania?
On second thought, you mean this theatre could not have waited till burial?
As we evolve, how important is it for us as a society to hold on to our traditions?
One good thing am happy to see is the tradition of respect.
There is desire by relatives to bury the dead in villages. this is common among my tonga friends and for some it does not make sense because the dead person would have even been to the so called village.
THAT’S BEING VERY MATURE, PANJI. I LIKE YOUR HUMBLE GESTURE.
Nomba kaka paso, not even shaking sure? This is just all witchcraft!
GREAT JOB WELL DONE PANJI, MAMA BETTY WAS A CHRISTIAN AND THE CHIEF SHOULD NOT PERFORM THOSE EVIL RITUALS. JUST BURY THE SITE WITH A PRAYER, KWAMANA.
Well done hon. panji. may mama kaunda rest in peace
So, the grave has been open for some days now, and what has happened to who? Proves these myths are lies, so don’t even bury any antihill; just return the soil that came from the hole dug. Tazibeleki!
A small ant-hill will be buried in the half grave??? what is this???
@15 Whats wrong with ancestral worship? You Africans only want to worship other people’s ancestors not yours. Abraham na Isaac na Jacob na Jesus are ancestors of the jews.
Time for chiefs is gone.In this era,we need elected leaders ,not someone who wears animal skin and think that he is above the general populace!Matter of fact,we need elected leaders.Chiefs are good at bewitching people,noting more nothing less,bloodcloots!!!
this advice lida daidaihua powerful performace essentially was effective for my situation.