🇿🇲 BRIEFING | Lungu’s Omission From Independence Supplement Sparks Backlash
Former Chienge Member of Parliament Given Katuta Mwelwa has criticised the Zambia Daily Mail over the omission of late sixth Republican President Edgar Chagwa Lungu from its 62nd Independence Anniversary supplement.
The state-owned newspaper’s commemorative page features President Hakainde Hichilema alongside former presidents Kenneth Kaunda, Frederick Chiluba, Levy Mwanawasa, Rupiah Banda and Michael Sata, but excludes Lungu, who governed Zambia from 2015 to 2021.
The omission has drawn criticism on social media, with questions raised about the newspaper’s treatment of Zambia’s presidential history.
Katuta argues that Independence Day should recognise all former Heads of State, regardless of their political affiliations or relationship with the government of the day.
“We cannot build a united Zambia by selectively remembering our history,” she said
She has called on Zambia Daily Mail management to explain the omission and take corrective action, maintaining that the presidency is a national institution whose history should not be subject to partisan considerations.
The reason for Lungu’s exclusion from the commemorative page remains unclear.
The People’s The People’s Brief | Ollus R. Ndomu
24 October 2026
No backlash. Let him be omitted maybe we can forget how he mitreated us and how he colupsed the economy. We are looking forward with HH, KK, Chiluba, Mwanawasa, RB and Sata.
Only fellow crooks can talk against the omission of one who had big negative impact on our lives.
It was even a mistake that he was president. So the omission is just relevant. Why include that which was a mistake in the first place. Mistakes are for correction so this indepenfence Chitenge is just ok, carries corrected history.
And those fellow crooks supporting Lungu have a mistaken belief that only them speak sense, others not. Also that they are majority when they are minority. Stop this misplaced belief. Follow right. And the moment you begin to follow right will be the moment you will accept that wrong need not be remembered…, and you will accept that omitting Lungu was just okay, very fine.