HH has a duty to attend Lungu’s funeral – State House
By Mwiche Nalwimba
STATE House Chief Communications Specialist Clayson Hamasaka says President Hakainde Hichilema attending former president Edgar Lungu’s funeral is not a matter of life and death but duty.
On Monday, Lungu’s family lawyer, Makebi Zulu, said President Hichilema should respect the wishes of the late president’s family by not insisting on attending his funeral, arguing that “he won’t die if he misses it.”
Commenting on this in an interview, Thursday, Hamasaka said it was rude and cruel to indicate that President Hichilema wouldn’t die if he missed Lungu’s funeral when he was just fulfilling his duty as the Head of State.
“The way they (Makebi and Lungu’s family) are making it, it’s like a matter of death and life for HH to attend or to view the body, they are making it like it’s a matter of life and death.
You know, if he will be there, he will probably be there to perform a role as Head of State and I mean if, emphasising ‘if,’ if he will be there, it will be to fulfil his duty as an elected Head of State towards a former head of state not as a matter of life and death.
I am saying if he will be there, he will be there as a matter of duty as Head of State, especially if it’s a state funeral. [At] a state funeral, don’t you expect the head of state? That’s why it’s called a state funeral, you expect the head of state to be there,” Hamasaka said.
“If he will be there, it’s a matter of duty to the nation as elected Head of State, not as a matter of life and death as they are trying to put it. So, let’s use sober language towards each other in finding a solution to this issue. If you say he won’t die if he doesn’t attend, let him just stay away, that is being too cruel, that language doesn’t build a country”.
Hamasaka further wondered who told Zulu that President Hichilema insisted on attending Lungu’s funeral.
“I think firstly, it’s a bit rude to extend such language in such situations, right? It’s rude and that’s being cruel. Let’s respect each other, let’s be civil with each other.
Let’s all use language that brings people together in the country and in finding a solution around the impasse [rather] than being uncivil with each other. Who told anyone that HH is insisting on body viewing, who [said] HH is insisting on attending? Who told them that?
My view to the young man Makebi is [that] let’s be sober, let’s engage each other as Zambian citizens, this thing will pass, we’ll remain, [and we] will have to keep engaging each other even on other issues.
So, cruel language will not help anybody. We can also respond in a cruel [way] around this whole thing but we don’t want to go that route as well,” said Hamasaka.
Credit News Diggers.
Well spoken State House. They are short sighted people who believe their life ended with the death of ECL, forgetting that they are on the side of the living.
The conduct of the State in this whole thing makes one wonder the obsession with Lungu’s body.
Is body viewing also a constitutional duty by the President?
The state dragged the grieving Widow and family to Court just to have the remains in Zambia..Why sink so low !
If the Court rules that the body be repatriated and the President finally agrees not to attend the Funeral, that will be great..
Personally I wouldn’t like Hopeless Hypocrites and Crocodile Tears to be anywhere near the funeral..to give hollow speeches.
Nobody gives it damn. You and them lost the power to him and hence the bitterness.
You are not normal.Any state funeral is guided by the state and the head of state is HH.There is no state funeral without a Head of state.Dont let bitterness blind you from being objective. Lung is a former head of state and should be given a befitting sendoff which should not be used by you to cause confusion and divide our people.You are the same people misleading the nation because of your dullness.You still think you are in power to undermine the government protocol and the head of State?
In all honesty, I don’t think HH personally cares about attending a funeral of a personal who tried to kill him. True, it’s just a matter of duty. Imagine a divorced women who was badly abused and regularly beaten by the former husband who eventually dies. When she attends his funeral, is it a matter of life and death? No. It’s just being polite and a matter of duty since they were once married. The scars he created still exist. Smell the coffee. Edgar was a crock. Even his family knows. That’s the reason they want to seek asylum. They know very well that they lived life against the law.
Very well spoken from state house. This is how a civilised presidency should be. You know make us feel in good hands. While the other side take life as opportunity for fighting, insulting, rudeness, cruelty to make us all worried, you come on the platform and speak the Nation builder’s language. Bravo state house. We will maintain you in 2026
I (and I believe even many other Zambians) can’t wait to get this distraction behind us and get on with life. Zambia is much bigger than one family (a cantankerous one for that matter). We have more important and pressing matters in the nation which require our energies.
The problem with UPND cadres is that they don’t use their heads to think instead they use their bellies. Today you say HH has a duty to attend ECL’s funeral fine we acknowledge that. Can anyone tell me what happened to his duty (HH) of granting ECL permission to go for medical treatment when he needed medical treatment ? Not once , not twice but three times HH failed in his duty of care and responsibility towards a former Head of State. Give me the rationale behind his denial on three occasions and maybe what you are saying will make sense. For now, nay , it is not stacking up .
In response to Nondo Yamafi, please show us the letter from Kasaka ka ndalama write to inform government that he is going for medical assistance? Since you seem so sure. Even a person with a brain of a pea would desist from commenting on what they don’t know.
Mwansa Kabinga you are a joker, you sound like you are so ignorant that you just wake up from the sleep and start commenting. Stop living in the dark ages where you were selling each other as slaves over a mirror or a comb. Where do you live ? No one needs to prove medical treatment to anyone in order to travel out of the country. You haven’t been following because you spend so much time begging for a living even when you were promised heaven and they delivered hell. The AG submitted that they were aware of ECL’s medical condition going back to 2015. Am sure you didn’t see this, you missed it because of Loadshedding. Shut your mouth if you have nothing to say and you will be considered wise. Wait for 2026 , the real victory will be delivered by the Zambian people through the ballot.