Government has declared tomorrow, Wednesday, October 17, as day of national mourning in honour of the late former Cabinet minister in the Mwanawasa administration Stephen Manjata who died on Sunday October 14, 2012 at Lusaka Trust Hospital after an illness.
Acting Secretary to the Cabinet Roland Msiska announced yesterday in a statement that acting President Alexander Chikwanda declared the day of national mourning for Mr Manjata, 67, who would be buried tomorrow in Kaoma district after a Requiem Service at kaoma Evangelical Church in Zambia (ECZ), Mahilo 1 Church.
Body viewing for Lusaka mourners would be held today at 08.00 hours at Ideal Funeral Parlour while the national mourning period would run from 06.00 hours to 18.00 hours on the day of burial. Funeral gathering in Lusaka was being held at Farm No 2, New Kasama on Mukuyu Road off Leopards Hill Road.
Mr Manjata was born on March 5, 1945 and was promoted to the position of Cabinet minister on March 24, 2005, after serving as Deputy Minister in the ministry of Energy and Water Development from January 11, 2002 to 2005.
He also served as deputy minister in the ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services and ministry of Environment and natural Resources under the Chiluba administration in 1992 and 2001 respectively.
Last year he resigned from the MMD to join the PF. Annoucing his resignation from MMD in 2011 , Manjata, who was also the immediate past MMD parliamentarian for Luampa Constituency in Kaoma, said that he left the ruling party at the time because of frustrations.
“I have left MMD,” Manjata said. “I have joined PF because it is a very progressive party. Everyone is joining PF, why shouldn’t I?”
He leaves behind a wife, 17 children and more than 30 grandchildren.
yeenu kanawa, Mwata. MYSRIP.
Chapihya mwata wange, Kalunga akale na babusoko bwenu mutsimbu ino yabukalu.
did i read properly? 17 children. the number after 16. wow. Go rest mulombwana.
He is survived a wife and 17children.Woh! Congo dust?
Let us just declare in advance a next week a week of National mourning for all former leaders. we shall be done away with it once and for all. So that NO more disturbances. we need to be serious and work. So all Civil Servants will take time off to attend, resulting in poor service delivery. aah HMHSRIP but we need to focus on work and NOT be disturbed.
how many national mourning are we going to have.why cant we just have a minute or so of silence then back to business. because at the end of the day no one is actually mourning at all except the family.this is just political mileage.
“Mr Manjata was born on March 5, 1945 and was promoted to the position of Cabinet minister on March 24, 2005, after serving as Deputy Minister in the ministry of Energy and Water Development from January 11, 2002 to 2005” Where is the history between 1945 and 2005
Who cares so much about his history, they have told you what you need to know and that is enough. If you want to know more go to the funeral they will most likely read the whole history there during burial, kaya! MHSRIP!
”Everyone is joining PF, why shouldn’t I?”
Loss to his family only,not to the nation by far.
It is sad that he is dead, but this national mourning is now a charade! Zambia is a nation of funerals. We could be hitting 10% growth in economy if we weren’t spending so much time at funerals!
what did he contribute to our nation for him to be accorded a state funeral be serious ba PF just declare zambia a funeral state or please hold these funerals at state house i wonder how many state funerals the US would have if they behaved like us reserve state funerals for serious people not every jim and jack deserves this honour
iwe wanjipaya, zambia a state funeral?
The govt needs to know that national mournings disturb business and the economy. Its unfair to especially those in the media, hospitality and entertainment industries who are forced to lose business due to a govt decree. Its time we re-defined National mourning. Only the civil service should observe it. The rest of us should just fly our flags at half-mast or perhaps observe a minute of silence
17 Children. Is that from one wife?
Let’s mourn our leader. He qualifies to be mourned nationally as per the rules recently announced by the PF government!
No one raised an eyebrow about the national mourning for mama Betty. This guy also deserves a national day of mourning in his honour until such a time that we shall just be paying a minute silence.
Man hours lost, what a waste. Since all PF ministers and members came from MMD govt how many state funerals are in the waiting? as death is taking its toll?. While we morn our departed loved ones, state funerals are quite unproductive to say the least as they take days and at times weeks. Lets get on to work to develop our nation to reduce the death rate some times caused by poverty.
8 sets of twins plus one i guess. 17 children???? ni mutototo olo mutunda mbuzi???….lol
define vulnerable….
Nafuti ! Nafuti ! Nafuti !!!!!!
There might be a direct link between too many children and a parent’s death. medics help
and how are we going to mourn veteran commedian, joseph kabwe who passed on sunday, 14/10.12?
@ Mature, While, Mr. Joseph Kabwe died? That is so bad, he was my dad’s friend, they grew up in Kwacha Kitwe together, and we grew up in Chimwemwe. Weh that is not nice…All we hear are funerals ku Zambia nako mweh. Though he had terrible diabates. Too bad mwe, cabipa mweh.
During his time, Manjata was a minister in a class of his own. The man knew what it meant to live among the poor and to wholeheartedly share in their sorrows. May his soul rest in peace.
17 Children Mudala.. Katushe mwandi.