Hypocrisy at Its Peak: Responding to Mr. Batuke Imenda, UPND SG’s Statement on Dr. Edgar C. Lungu’s Burial
By Thandiwe Ketiš Ngoma
I have taken note of the press statement issued on 20 August 2025 by the UPND Secretary General, Mr. Batuke Imenda, instructing party officials and members to desist from commenting on matters concerning the burial of our late Sixth President, Dr. Edgar C. Lungu.
Let it be made abundantly clear: this statement is nothing short of hypocritical and insulting to the intelligence of the Zambian people. After days of gross disrespect, humiliation, and torment inflicted upon the Lungu family by reckless remarks and actions from UPND members and officials, the party now wants to feign restraint. Instead of doing the honourable thing and issuing a heartfelt apology to the family for the trauma caused, the UPND leadership casually orders its members to “keep quiet,” as though such a directive can erase the pain already inflicted
Let us be specific. Senior UPND officials have publicly mocked and belittled the late President even in death, using language that no cultured person should ever use about the departed. Others have gone further to intimidate the grieving family, politicising a funeral that should have been handled with dignity and solemnity. The arrogance, the lack of empathy, and the shamelessness displayed are there for the whole nation to see.
At the very least, Mr. Imenda’s statement would have carried some weight if he had begun by acknowledging this uncultured behaviour and condemning it in the strongest terms. He should have shown leadership by distancing the party from such shameful conduct, apologising to the family of Dr. Lungu, and then issuing a directive for members to desist from making reckless statements. That would have been meaningful.
But what he has done instead is to issue a shallow and useless statement, attempting to sweep the mess under the carpet without taking responsibility. This is not leadership. This is hypocrisy at its peak.
The truth remains: it is too little, too late. If the UPND had any decency, such measures would have been put in place long before the family of the late President was subjected to such indignity. What we are witnessing now is an empty attempt at damage control and very poor damage control at that.
Dr. Edgar C. Lungu deserves dignity in death, and his family deserves peace in mourning. Yet, the arrogance with which the UPND has handled this matter has stripped both away.
And let it also be remembered: the late President himself made it clear that he did not wish for President Hakainde Hichilema to be anywhere near his remains or preside over his funeral. That wish must be respected. For the sake of peace, and out of basic decency, may President Hichilema please stay away from the funeral proceedings. His presence, after all that has transpired, would only be seen as a provocation and insult, not just to the Lungu family but also to the many Zambians who respected and loved the late President.
Better late than never.You ka noise maker.
iwe ka Thandiwe…. You cannot dictate to anyone let alone the government of the day what they should and shouldn’t do. You cannot control what every disappointed UPND or PF cadre would want to say over the controversial funeral of the late ECL. But what you can do is to put in place a directive to stop people from making any statements about the death of ECL. It is my view that Mr. Imenda did well to issue such a directive to stop from talking anyhow about the same. No apologies needed. The country cannot kneel to the people that have stolen our wealth. You (Thandiwe) should apologize to the nation for all your misguided and plainly biased articles you write each day about the new dawn govt and Pres. HH. The UPND has shown both rationale and reasonableness on this matter.