The body of late Chief Justice Ireen Mambilima has arrived in Zambia. The ZAF military airplane carrying the body of the late Chief Justice touched down at Lusaka International Airport ZAF base at 22. 37 hours on Wednesday night.
On hand to receive the body was Acting Chief Justice, Michael Musonda, President Judge of the Concourt Hildah Chibwila, Egyptian Ambassador to Zambia Ahmed Mostafa , Zambian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Emmanuel Chenda , Supreme and High court judges, family members and other senior government officials who paid their respect as the body was been lowered from the aeroplane on to the Ideal Funeral palour hearse by military personnel.
A convoy of military police vehicles from the defense forces escorted the hearse carrying the body which will lie in state at the Ideal funeral palaour until the day of burial to be preceded by a valedictory ceremony and funeral church service at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross at 10:00 hours Saturday June 26th 2021.
And Acting Chief Justice Michael Musonda has described death of late Chief Justice Irene Mambilima as a loose not only to the nation but regional and beyond the African continent.
Mr. Justice Musonda said the late will not be easy to replace as she had accomplished a lot during her lifetime as lawyer.
Mr Justice Musonda said the legal fraternity has lost a dedicated professional who dedicated her public service beyond as she was an intelligent lawyer who was a bridge between old and young judges having been the longest serving on the bench in recent times.
Mr Justice Musonda said Ms Justice Mambilima, 69, was a pillar of justice, the rule of law as well as a champion of good governance and democracy.
“The chief justice was due to retire on 70th birthday next year in March and remained resourceful the government. she did a lot at the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) which made win accolades and many other areas,” Justice Musonda said.
Mr. Justice Musonda said even her recent trip to Egypt, Cairo was part of the late’s efforts to see how the judiciary could improve in delivery of services systems to the country.
The acting Chief Justice disclosed that the late Chief Justice would be buried at the weekend and that government through cabinet office was coordinating the burial a programme.
And family representative, Zambian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Emmanuel Chenda thanked President Edgar Lungu and the government for according the late Chief Justice a three-day national mourning.
“President Lungu has bestowed an honour whose words are not enough thank him a three-day national mourning. It shows and demonstrates that she was a valuable asset that will be missed by legal fraternity in the country,” Mr Chenda stated.
Mr Chenda said the gesture and support the government has offered to the family has lightened the burden of the lose of the late Chief Justice Mumbalima.
He said as a family it was heartbroken at the death of the late justice whom he described as having been a pillar, mother and comforter to all family members.
“her home was there for all and everyone ran to her. She took care of everyone and what professionally displayed in the work circles also applied to the way she ran the family,” Ambassador Chenda said.
The late Chief Justice passed away on Saturday 20th June in Cairo, Egypt while on official duty. The funeral gathering for the Chief Justice is being held at her residence at House Number 24, Tito Road, Rhodes Park in Lusaka.
” The ZAF military airplane carrying the body of the late Chief Justice touched down at Lusaka International Airport ZAF base at 22. 37 hours on Wednesday night.”
The question is how many ZAF planes went to Cairo…Flightradar 24 states that the Presidential Jet took off from Cairo at 12:15 —
Landed in Lusaka at 18:12 flight time 5.57 hrs now there is another aircraft that landed at 22.37 hrs. Tell the people the cause of Mambilima …is it covid-19?
Lies have short legs indeed you tried to hide the truth on the 16 th …now its come back to bite you!!
Where is the inept absentee President who wants to stand 5 more years
Shame and sorry to our Chief Justice for the untimely death. You are well come home but your death will not carry much weight because your death and burial coincides with the death of our founding Father Doctor KK,
Why are we not told what killed CJ Irene Mambilima? This leads to unnecessary speculations. People are already saying that CJ Irene Mambilima succumbed to Covid-19 complications. It looks like this Govt’s Covid-19 Management is defective. There is no effective lockdown, testing and contact tracing. For example we heard that President Lungu’s Press Secretariat and his wife were hospitalized with Covid-19 and yet the President didnt go into quarantine or isolation . We are paying lip service to Testing, contact tracing, isolation and Covid-19 vaccinations. This disease is real and lethal. Our Covid-19 Management need to be improved in terms of Covid-19 WHO Guidelines. The writing is on the wall.
She went to learn how an Islamic judicial system works? The Zambian judicial system is miles away from Islamic judicial system. Stay clear please!
ITS A SHAME WHEN A DEATH IS ANNOUNCED IT BRINGS OUT THE WORST IN SOME
THE BLAME FOR THIS CLEARLY FALLS ON THE PF GOVERNMENT FOR NOT BEING OPEN OR TELLING THE NATION THE TRUTH
LIKE J6-ONE IN EGYPT
KK’S COFFIN^AND THE COUNTRY WIDE TOUR
It’s a shame. People in higher positions are flown on presidential jets for medication purposes. Due to South Africa going through the third wave could not evacuate the Chief Justice hence Egypt was the choice.
Anyway lungu should come out in the open and address the nation what was the cause of her death, also if she had any serious underlying health conditions why couldn’t the state of the art hospitals in Zambia could not take care of her.
How could they the thief had been gifting bicycles and hard cash across the country whilst the hospitals are neglected
Now imagine the ordinary citizens who can’t afford basic medicine, they have to go through immense pain and torturous journey towards death.
I guess the billions spent on infrastructure projects would alleviate the…
Its all PF lies surely what international meeting can a Chief Justice attend with pandemic worldwide when the can do it online?
Writer check out Loss/ lose/ Loose. They don’t mean the same.
An “independent” Chief Justice using the Presidential plane to go on official duties.
ITS NOT ADDING UP
What was she even doing in Egypt?
What can our judicial system really learn from the Egyptian judicial system?
This is how tax payers money is being abused.
Vote wisely.
JUST AFTER COMMANDING THE JUDGES TO FINISH CASES ON TIME ESPECIALLY POLITICAL CASES, ABWELA AFWILA KU EGYPT. MAY THE LORD OUR GOD STRENGTHEN ALL WHO BELIEVES IN HER WORKS. MHSRIP
You will be missed ????
Apart from spelling and grammatical errors, I thought the article was informative. As a first time reader of this particular news, I was able to learn about the deceased lady, including where she died and how old she was at the time of death. Normally Zambian journalists forget to paint a basic picture of their subject and readers are left wondering who the hell was the deceased.
Why all the hype she was just a public servant, Who cares. only presidents should be given vip status , we are a broke country use this money for vaccines not on died public servants.