President Edgar Lungu has accorded a state funeral in honour of the late freedom fighter and former Member of the Central Committee (MCC) in the United National Independence Party (UNIP) government, Mama Chibesa Kankasa.
President Lungu has also declared Saturday 3rd November, 2018 a day of national mourning, a day when the late politician will be put to rest.
The Head of State remembers the late Chibesa Kankasa as an illustrious political career and young freedom fighter who served in influential portfolio as a Member of the Central Committee in the UNIP regime, in the first Republic of President Kenneth Kaunda.
In a press statement issued to ZANIS in Lusaka today, Secretary to Cabinet, Roland Msiska said during the mourning period, all flags will fly at half-mast and programmes of entertainment nature on both radio and television should be cancelled or postponed.
According to the statement, a requiem church service is scheduled to take place on the day of burial at the Anglican Cathedral of Holy Cross in Lusaka, at 09:00 hours and thereafter proceed to the Leopards Hill memorial park for burial.
Known to many as Mama Kankasa, the late worked with former First Lady Betty Kaunda and Ms. Julia Chikamoneka during the freedom struggle and was the first Zambian High Commissioner to Kenya after the country gained independence in 1964.
Mama Kankasa died yesterday in South Africa where she was evacuated for specialised medical treatment.
She was born on March 23rd, 1936 and joined politics at a tender age of 19, married Timothy Kankasa in 1952 and went on to become one of the most known female politicians in Zambia.
Mrs Kankasa was not only a young female freedom fighter when Zambia fought for independence but was a charismatic fighter for the rights of fellow women and children.
As the first female Member of the Central Committee and Chairperson of the Women’s league, Mrs Kankasa offered a distinguished service to government and was an icon to many young female politicians.
She earned it! There are no elegant women like that anymore. But nabo kwati tu Jaribu panono?
She deserves it.
She was more like Mumbi Phiri, in terms people thinking she was in government but infact not, you only ambassador once. A Super Star! Chibesa was a diva, what about Mumbi? Both bakwa Lenshina.
Now let’s keep all these comments, and compare to comments we read after Mumbi Phiri dies.
I apologise to Mama Mumbi Phiri, please delete my comments.
Ba LT Why you didn’t moderate this one. You are strange.
@Nostradamus,
Why didnt you mentioned mulamu also she is seated there next to ba mama kankasa?,,,,, apologize again
Deservedly so … Rest In Peace, Mama! Rest In God’s Own Bosom … MYSRIP
As Zambians we are very poor historians. CNN and other US media write profiles years before someone passes away and they just get it and put in the dates when someone dies. That is journalism EVELYN HONE & UNZA please! Once CCN, I believe had wrongly aired the death of Mandela before he died. Lesson: Write them now! Ahead of time! Mama Kankasa deserves a lengthy history not this patch one above. Little boys who were born after 2000 like Gay Jay do not know this woman. All they know is HH.
That was my point in my earlier presentation Sharon.As a nation, we are deprived of knowledge of prominent people owing to our pathetic reporting.These are the people who are supposed to carry a lot of biographical space in our writing.The current reporting about our heroes and heroines lives much to be desired.Look at the statement on her marriage.The writer cannot even calculate that 1936 to 1952 is 16 years.She or he just writes a myopic number of 19 years,contradicting herself or himself.It is a big shame that the writers are subjecting us to pathetic reporting.I do not understand if they have editors or not.We need proper information and data.This is our heritage which should go in our books of history for the generation to come.Mailoni brothers were well reported and yet they were…
@Sharon, what can Sunday Chanda write about Chibesa?
Did you receive Twitter from Dora, katwishi nga ni jealous. So brief.
Maybe Dora wants to compete with Chibesa Kankasa…. Let’s wait and read about Dora, I mean before she dies soon as you want, they will just put a date on.
@Mbalusa, yes that was your good observation. @2.2, What can McDonald Chipenzi write about Chibesa? Let’s wait and read about HH, I mean before he dies as you want, they will just put a date on and then his (our) money shall die in PANAMA as well.
What’s wrong with this Lazy Lungu…surely can’t you not just award a State Funeral status and leave at there instead of declaring Day of National Mourning…we know you don’t work in State House!!
Lazy bum illiterate tribal Mapatizya Formula online chair of INCOMPOS tribal H-organisation son of a tribal polygamous father who never taught him toilet training pooping in public HAGAIN needing a DIAPER from NEDCOZ Inferiority Complex. It is UNELECTABLE and UNLIKABLE and will NEVER be a president in Zambia! The most thing it can be is a PARAMOUNT CHIEF in NAMWALA.
@Sharon
If your intent is to be a troll trust me young man you are terribly bad at it.
My advice – Leave that rubbish to the philistines.
You are better than that!
She was the most beautiful woman in the UNIP central committee, yet she was fully dressed from head to toe. She was an elegant lady, not these shameless women in politics today who aren’t even ashamed to show their thighs and beyond to everybody including their children and call it fashion. Late Jowie Mwiinga once said about those who went to Parley skimpily dressed like they’d recovered their long lost Virginity
“She was the most beautiful woman in the UNIP central committee” – What of Mama Mary Fulano?
Even when others are crying, the opportunity to make money is always there.
If the Leicester FC was in Zambia and its billionaire crashed in helicopter ..I bet you Lazy Lungu would declare National Day of Mourning!!
I guess UPND will boycott to attend the state funeral coz its declared by Lungu. But they are very fast running to new Kasama to receive KK’s bessings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Actually, Watchdog reported that KK went to visit HH, but Lusaka Times reported that HH went to visit KK – that is Zambian Social Media.