IF PRESIDENT HH SAYS HE IS READY TO STAY AWAY, LET’S RIDE ON IT AND BURY ECL IN ZAMBIA – SIAME
UNITED Church of Zambia (UCZ) Lusaka Presbytery Bishop, Lordwell Siame, has welcomed remarks by Attorney General, Mulilo Kabesha, indicating that President, Hakainde Hichilema, is willing to stay away from the funeral of former President, Edgar Lungu, if it will facilitate his burial in Zambia.
Speaking in an interview with RCV News in Lusaka, Bishop Siame urged the President to stand by his position in order to bring closure to the matter and avoid prolonged back-and-forth disagreements.
However, the Bishop questioned the delay in reaching this decision, noting that while the move is welcome, some damage may have already been caused to the bereaved family.
He has since called on the mediation and negotiating team handling the burial arrangements to take advantage of the President’s stance and work towards a consensus between the State and the family.
“Now that the Head of State is willing not to attend, the negotiating team must use this opportunity to ensure the matter is concluded, with both parties reaching an agreement,” said Bishop Siame.
Meanwhile, Bishop Siame has expressed concern over derogatory remarks made by some UPND members against the late President, warning that such statements risk deepening tensions and delaying consensus.
He has also appealed to the Lungu family to accept the President’s position to help bring the matter to a close.
RCV