By Chanda Chisala
As the country goes through an unfortunate impasse between the family/party of the late president Edgar Lungu and the state, I suggest that the president makes a compromise speech that goes something like this:
Countrymen and Women,
As you all know, we currently have an unfortunate impasse following the death of President Edgar Lungu (MHSRIP), with different interests insisting on their own way as the only path forward concerning the funeral and burial of our late president.
As an act of compromise, I have decided that I and the top leadership of my party will not be attending the state funeral or burial of our beloved former president.
This is simply out of respect for the family and widow of president Lungu. Due to so much misinformation circulating in the country through social media, she may feel that I personally, and my party the UPND, hold some culpability in the events that culminated in the death of their beloved father and husband.
Let me clarify once and for all that when the benefits of retirement were withdrawn from the former president, we were only following the law; and this was a law that we did not make or even amend. We are a country of laws and we will be in breach of our Oath if we do not follow the law as it is written. This was neither my personal decision nor the decision of anyone in the UPND party or government.
Other than that, I must acknowledge that president Lungu and I did have an acrimonious relationship due to the nature of politics. This does not mean that I hated him personally, nor does it mean that he hated me personally. It is the nature of politics that sometimes you issue very strong statements against each other as you compete for political office so that you can bring the vision that you believe is the better one for the people. Naturally, you always believe the other person and his party have the worse policies for the country and you make it your duty to inform the public in the most passionate way. This can come off as personal hatred to some people, and some opportunists can take advantage of that perception and build all kinds of false stories that the public might find easy to believe.
The reason I have decided that my party and administration officials will stay away from this important function is therefore simply out of empathy for the family so that they may not feel tormented by our presence, given all the unfortunate misinformation that they may have come across. Some people have even recklessly implied that I had a hand in the actual death of the president, besides many such false rumours, so I can understand if Mrs Lungu may feel highly conflicted by my presence at the burial and funeral of our late former president.
I am therefore giving a directive to Cabinet Office to liaise with the army commander to manage and conduct the proceedings of a state funeral and burial that accords all the full respects to our former Commander-in-Chief and I will only send my blessing to them. As UPND president, I will also ask that our party withdraws from attending these events in their official capacity and allow the Patriotic Front to take preeminence at these functions. We will still mourn him in our own way, but there is no law that requires us to have official representation at these functions.
I hope this compromise helps in the process of our country healing from the acrimony that the deep political rifts have inflicted on our nation, as we move closer to the values of empathy demanded by our Christian nation.
I thank you and may God bless you all.
HH.
The problem is that neither side is willing to see the bigger picture but see this as an opportunity to score maximum political points. Let presido take this initiative of taking one step back and I’m sure all parties will be satisfied.
Imaginary ??
Like loadshedding ??
Let’s stick to facts
Please kindly elaborate, for the sake of clarity
As long as he is a former President, he will be buried by the current President. Is there ang other way? That is the respect for any other President
I remember MC was unwelcome at LP’s funeral. He was manhandled and chased away by Maureen.
But HH is on the power seat that he glued himself to and it may be so awkward to force him to leave this funeral. What will such a deed do to his political future? Can he be fished out like Micheal’s instance if he chooses to attend? Impossible. What will be the consequence if he delegated to someone else while he Zooms it at Community House away from the public? So weird. It is just prudent that he personally officiates the burial proceedings. Mr. President, Your Excellency, please strike a deal so that the country moves on forward. Leadership is not child’s play, but tact.
But HH is on the power seat that he glued himself to and it may be so awkward to force him to leave this funeral. What will such a deed do to his political future? Can he be fished out like Micheal’s instance if he chooses to attend? Impossible. What will be the consequence if he delegated to someone else while he Zooms it at Home away from the public? So weird. It is just prudent that he personally officiates the burial proceedings. Your Excellency, please strike a deal so that the country mends to move on forward. Leadership is about tact.
Very disappointed with UPND youth chairman Liswaniso saying it is constitutional for the sitting President to bury a former President. No it is not. A state funeral mat not necessarily mean the head of state being involved, however illogical it may sound, it is Illogical and not constitutional. I was equally disappointed why a seasoned interviewer from KBN did not challenge him to cite the provision in the constitution that requires a sitting President to burry a former head of state, there is none. It is just traditional but a good practice which i agree with , I am just disputing the part he is saying it is constitutional.
Must this startle you, WANZELU. Didn’t the unconventional secretary general spray, matuka, a mist of affront, at the clergy singling one out as the Lucy-Far himself? I mean some people can be as rouge as that and no one in their circle reprimands them. It is normalised insensitivity.
I am trying to remember when AKM died how his peaceful party reacted…VJ is alive ask him what happened when he went kumalende ! Remove log please
Remember too what happened to Cycle Mata when he gate crushed to a funeral to pour his last respect when Cabbage departed? Didn’t Mow Reen hound him out to the chagrine of not just those bystanders and onlookers present but the whole wide world as well? Those two people had long openly reconciled and become good buddies at most. Vee Jaye was their, but looked the other way.
Ova Mai Dead Body.
Did our current two dudes ever pacify matters?
Scenarios may be different. Though the incumbent today is favoured by GRZ, the public showdown is still unforgettable, but peace is inevitable to quench this whirlpool of political parties.
Critique of the Chanda Chisala Speech: Country men? Like Lungu, I am not a countryman Iam from the copperbelt in Mufulira, the heartbeat of Zambia’s urban area Kikikikikikiki ! Mmm…different interests? What are you hiding? Why not just “different people” ? We know them Otherwise what are these interests?
As an act of compromise…. That para is very well reasoned
This is simply……Para not so well reasoned out.
Because of family. Family is not more important than nation!
I hope this compromise….. Compromise? Why not just say I hope this cowardice wont bla bla bla.. It fits into the speech like a glove in hand. Yeah white glove in hand-kikikikikiki!
Sorry that is not the way to go.