President Hakainde Hichilema has asked immediate past Republican President Edgar Lungu to be part of the state funeral for late former republican president Rupiah Banda.
President Hichilema says he also requested Cabinet to be updating President Lungu of happenings regarding the State funeral.
Speaking when he visited the fourth Republican President’s bereaved family in Lilayi, Mr Hichilema said he believes there is need for him and his predecessor to mourn Mr Banda together.
“Let’s mourn President Banda, all of us, no divisive issues. If there are issues we can handle and deal with them later. I want to confirm to the Banda family that.
“ I spoke to President ECL, asking him that we should, must all mourn our former President together, I wanted to confirm this publicly here, and I asked the team to be briefing President Lungu, of what is going on, what are the plans, so that we give due respect and honour to President Rupiah Banda.
“ I thought I needed to say that, and I ask others to reach out to each other do the same so we can be dignified as a country, take a different turn,” he said.
Mr Hichilema said what the general public witnessed in the aftermath of the August 2021 polls was just a small fraction of the role the late fourth Republican President played to diffuse the tension.
Earlier yesterday, Acting Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa announced that late fourth republican President Rupiah Banda will be put to rest on Friday 18th March 2022 at the Presidential burial site, Embassy Park in Lusaka.
Mr Kangwa said prior to the burial, government will host a State funeral on Thursday 17th March 2022 at 10hrs at the Lusaka showgrounds.
And stressing that the nation can learn from how the late former Head of State Banda desired an improved Zambia, Mr Hichilema also called for unity for the country during the period of mourning.
President Hichilema asked the Banda family to remain strong during this difficult moment.
He encouraged the family not to deviate from the values Mr Banda stood for. Shortly after, the President proceeded to sign in the book of condolence.
Speaking to journalists shortly after, Mr Hichilema expressed sadness at the passing of Mr Banda a few days after he had visited him.
“It’s a pity that I’m here only a few days away after I was here chatting with him, chatting with him, encouraging him, drawing advice and counsel from him.
“ A few days later we come to offer our condolences and President Banda is gone. We can only be consoled by the acceptance that there is only one who is a giver of life and that’s God, he gives and he take.
“ When he takes, how we don’t know, only he decides, we have to accept that because we are all going the same way anyway,” he said.
And family spokesperson Fisho Mwale said contrary to some social media assertions, the bereaved family is united over government’s funeral arrangements contrary to some rumours.
Mr Mwale also thanked Government for meeting the requirements of the family.
President HH is a good man indeed.
Inviting ECL after that nonsense the PF did during KK’s funeral.
Lungu chi color must be ashamed and if he’s a normal person he should apologize for making HH watch KK funeral on TV.
@2, HH was at the state funeral of KK, they even shook hands with ECL. Did you perhaps want HH to be following the body everywhere around the country?
There is absolutely no need for HH to make these announcements. As per government customary practice, frmr Presidents are still accorded special treatment as well as privileged information. Edgar Lungu found out RB had died earlier than HH’s cabinet did.
Additionally, as per Zambian tradition, casting aside government customary practice, there would be moaning in unity without need for announcement of such intent.
Kambako fya nzelu iwe mukazi. Are u true Zambian or u are a cadre? Always uttering bad words. We are mourning and no politics here.
This is a good gesture and it’s good that Bally has publicly spoken about it. We were being made to believe, by some circles, that there were differences between him and ECL to that might manifest during this period of mourning. It’s not time for politics, let’s heed Bally’s call to mourn RB with dignity. No one can change the fact that ECL is our 6th Republican President. Those sick in their minds have even began to suggest that Guy Lindsay Scott in the next father of the nation! Guy was never elected as President of this country. Please let not Your hatred for ECL blur your thinking, You can never change facts
I’m disappointed with what is attributed to Panji Kaunda concerning Edgar Lungu. This is mourning time. You can be completely healthy and strong now but the next minute we hear you have died. As we pray for the departed dear ones, we must mourn for ourselves for we don’t know when our time will come.
A perfect opportunity to ARREST the former president, and start proceedings for CORRUPTION. HH clearly has forgotten that Edgar China Lungu arrested him FIFTEEN times. Let this most incompetent and thieving former president FEEL what it’s like to be in jail!
Zambian presidential deaths is like a pandemic.
A friend of mine asked, why so many presidents die in Zambia. My answer was, “imagine how many ordinary people die a day”.
MR HH…. it is not your call. ECL is not on house arrest. Whether you like it or not ECL was coming for that funeral . just extend the real handshake this time around.
A publicity stunt which even f00Iish Anthony bwalya is capitalising on all over social media. Do you need to announce such things? Also I thought hh never recognised ECL as president. Does it mean hh only recognises when he is in power for political gain. Very cheap politics.
Let us move together as one family. Whether or not you like it vengeance belongs to God.
@Nostradamus, tell your friend that Zambia is a fully flagged democracy with seven Presidents so far. While others have had only two Presidents in their long history.
THE IMPOSTER SPEWING SEWERAGE AGAIN
HE CERTAINLY KNOWS ABOUT CHEAP POLITICS
If there are issues to sort we will do that later? Just this statement made change my mind. There’s no need to go this far. It’s like asking someone to escort you and at the end of the journey you kill him.
Now I’m more sure than ever before that my vote for HH was not in vain. After the way the PF snubbed him during the state funeral of KK! We indeed voted for a human being
You don’t invite someone on a funeral as if it’s yours
It’s not a good gesture. It’s not a bad gesture. He doesn’t have to be invited. Unlike Europeans Africans don’t invite people to funerals.
And whether officially invited or not, as an ex president Lungu just has to attend. We would raise our eyebrows if he didn’t.
He extended the invitation people talk if he didn’t they could still have talked. Anyway with what we saw last time on funerals this couldn’t have been said. I think funerals of high dignitaries invitations are always put out. For example at KK funeral it was strictly by invitation and some where turned away as they didn’t have an invitation. Look at it now it peaceful and free for all.
Definitely putting Lazy Lungu to shame…he would never do this as he had zero leadership qualities
I hope and pray that Edgar China Lungu will do the honest thing and stay HOME during the funeral of the man who taught him about CORRUPTION.
#17 That’s the point. So Lungu if he wasn’t ” invited” was not going to be allowed at the burial? Anyway politics is a business of the shameless.
The invitation is unnecessary. You leave it to individuals to decide whether to attend or not. Besides, it does not mean those who attend grieve the most than those who do not attend.
Zambia should just be closed because everything is just strange, where on earth do we invite each other for funerals. A funeral you attend according to your own conscious, I am UPND but I don’t think it is right to invite people even if the gesture was come bro we mourn together.
I thought was the deceased family to have a say on who to invite on the funeral or not and I dont know if in Zambia we have sure intellet to invite ppl to attend funerals, I thought the community just come together to happy the deceased, Please stop politicizing when the deceased family are facing such a difficult time. My condolences to the Banda’s family bless!!!
I will not be surprised if the next move is to ask for help,on how to run the affairs of the nation…It’s like someone is clueless..
@ Ayatollah 6, thank you!
Iwe chi stinky troll Kaizar Zulu your cheap political drivel makes no sense.
Ubuwelewele pa Zed tesana
HH called ECL president. Why now he never recognized him before. Although ECL was not a good president , hh has ego issues. Just an observation