GIVE ROOM TO THE ECL FAMILY TO MOURN IN PEACE – MONDE
…calls on President Hichilema to censure his members including Muchinga province Minister for mocking the bereaved family following the court ruling in South Africa
Lusaka… Friday August 8, 2025 – Former Fisheries and Livestock Minister Greyford Monde says the family of late former Republican President Edgar Chagwa Lungu must be given room to mourn him with dignity.
Speaking when he featured on Millennium TV’s ‘The National Pulse’ program, Hon. Monde said it is sad that those aligned to the UPND are mocking the bereaved family following the Pretoria High Court ruling that ordered that the remains of Mr. Lungu be handed over to the Zambian Government for repatriation and subsequent burial at the Embassy park in Lusaka.
He said the celebrations from the UPND camp following the court judgement will not help the country in any way.
Hon. Monde who served as Cabinet Minister in the Patriotic Front (PF) administration under President Edgar Lungu has asked President Hakainde Hichilema to censure his members including Muchinga province Minister Njavwa Simutowe for mocking the bereaved family.
“President Hichilema takes time to act when he is needed. He is taking time to speak to his people mocking the late ECL and the grieving family. This is a matter of high concern. We need to put politics aside on issues of national importance. Let there be peace in the country and also give room to the ECL family to mourn him with dignity. These celebrations from the UPND camp will not help the country in anyway,” Hon. Monde said.
And Hon. Monde said the PF remains solidly behind the family of later former President Lungu adding that what they will decide is what the party will go with.
“Let President Hichilema be the man with a big heart, and he can even follow the burial proceedings online, there are many events that he has foregone. The family demonstrated that they were willing to bring the remains of ECL and we do not expect the Government to take a hard approach after this court ruling. We need more prayers to ask God to guide us in the governance of this country,” Hon. Monde said.
And Chiengi member of parliament Hon. Given Katuta who called in during the program said she is saddened by the conduct of Muchinga province Minister Njavwa Simutowe who was filmed celebrating the Pretorial High Court ruling in a video that has gone viral on various social media platforms.
She questioned whether the UPND Government will bury late former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu in good faith.
“We have a leadership that is heartless, they should stop mocking the bereaved family. My prayer is that the UPND will not turn the burial into a political event where there members will dominate,” she said.
Iwe, to leave the mafia to “mourn” in peace? Did you see the acting of Lungu’s hired sister in court? No tears, but had strength to shower unpalatables!
They may be left off the hook if government sees the “body”.
As things stand, aikona, man. Push them to the limit, until what is hidden is exposed or revealed.
Where on earth have you seen a burial without body viewing for someone whose body is intact? You don’t even smell something fishy? Really?
If the family has respect for Lungu, they could have given up and allow the body to be repartriated. But due to ulterior motives, the “widow” is able to attend court sessions even before burial of his husband. Do they really have elders in either family to tell them about cultural norms?
Another foolish man saying rubbish. Leave HH alone out of this drama. HH is busy working for Zambians. Why should he waste time on your concerns Mr Monde. That’s your business. This impasse hasn’t been caused by HH nor UPND. It’s caused by PF and Edgar ‘ s family. Let them continue with their unnecessary drama. The rest of us will move forward.
The Lungu family have mourned enough and are busy politicking with PF. One reason to think Lungu is not in that coffin. Two months is a lot of time to mourn someone. The Lungu family wanted to bury the coffin on 25th June without body viewing in South Africa from no where. This decision would make anyone become suspicious if not come to a conclusion that you’re either dealing with demented people or a criminal syndicate that has something to hide. The conduct of the hired mourner in court speaks volumes of something being hidden. It’s dispeakable that one of the respondent’s can behave like that. If it’s true family has appealed and the appeal is granted, the Zambian government should should file for contempt on top of defending the case. Democracy in the Western world works because the citizen are bound by the rule of law which strongly defended and no one is allowed to play cheap politics with it irrespective of who they are. The would huge fines and get burned from politics without any appeal.