His Excellency Amb. George Twala, former South African High Commissioner accredited to the Republic of Zambia ( 2019-2023) gave a moving and insightful Tribute
Edgar Lungu was doing very fine, he was doing well when I met him on 17th May 2025- Amb. George Twala
I had an opportunity to meet President Edgar Lungu when I accompanied Dr. Sishuwa Sishuwa for his interview.
I had a rare opportunity to take the pictures during their interview. I’ve learnt that those were the first public pictures since Janyary 2025 and probably the last.
President Lungu said, Dr. Sishuwa was his fiecest critic but had turned out to be his good friend.
He said Dr. Sishuwa was doing to his succesor what he did to him. He said: “I’ve learnt that Dr. Sishuwa speaks for the country, speaks for the people and that Dr. Sishuwa loves Zambia just as much, if not more than, those that rule it.”
President Lungu said, on reflection, a leader must listen more to his critics than he listens to his praise singers.
“I wish when I occupied the office, I should have listened more to my critics, than I had listened to others.”
He also bemoaned that Zambia’s foreign policy in recent years had veered more to the West and its footing could no longer be remembered as anchored in pan-africanism.
He hoped that future leaders will restore Zambia’s strong pan-african stance.
I found that these were raw reflections of a man, who walked the path of power, who remained a patriot to the end.
I must say he credited his family as a cornerstone of his life. He expressed this with deep passion recognizing how resolute and steadfast his wife, the former First Lady, Mama Esther Lungu, the children were to him.
He described them as the honour of his life.
In those moments I didnt see a politician, but I saw a father, a husband, a believer, a humble man with a rare task and privilege to lead the country.
Ntate Twala realeboga. This was an impeccable solemn tribute to a man you personally met and talked to but never knew who he was. Lungu was a good man, but those chaps especially Lubinda and Nakacinda derailed him big time. Us Zambians are mourning Lungu and according him with the dignity he deserves in death. However those stupid PF cadres of soweto market and intercity bus terminus and elsewhere did a great deal of damage to his standing. while we all know that at some point in time we will die, his name invokes bad memories of brutality on innocent Zambians and looting of public resources. PF was and still is the epitome of lawlessness and thuggery in Zambia. In Mumbwa my home town I saw it all. MHSRIEP.