MAKEBI ZULU ACCUSES GOVT OF DEMANDING POSTMORTEM ON LUNGU

MAKEBI ACCUSES GOVT OF DEMANDING POSTMORTEM ON LUNGU

LUSAKA lawyer Makebi Zulu has accused government of hiring a private investigator in an attempt to conduct a postmortem on late president Edgar Lungu.

Meanwhile, PF faction Information and Publicity Chairperson Emmanuel Mwamba says government’s attempt to push for a postmortem on the late president without family consent is regrettable.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) recently subpoenaed Two Mountains Burial Services, where Lungu’s mortal remains are believed to be held, demanding that they release his body for a postmortem to determine whether he died of poisoning, as alleged.

SAPS indicated that immediately after the procedure is completed, the body will be released back to Two Mountains.

Reacting to this in an interview, Tuesday, Zulu, who is the late president’s family spokesperson, said this is not the first attempt by government to gain access to Lungu’s body.

“It’s not the South African Police, it is the Zambian government that hired a private investigator for the purpose of achieving what the Zambian government wants to achieve. I’ll give a comprehensive statement with regards to that once I get to the family. It’s never been fair, and these are the machinations that we said the government has been doing in the background, where they create a story and want to investigate based on what they have already investigated for purposes of having access to the body. This is not the first attempt they are making towards the body, and this is why they can’t be trusted,” said Zulu.

And Mwamba described the push for a postmortem on the late president as unnatural.

“We’ve been very clear, we blame government and the Attorney General and State House. Even this [latest development] was laid by pressure groups that have been supported by Zambia. It’s not a natural, formal, proper investigation, it is being done by the government of Zambia using pressure groups from South Africa. And we are of the strong view that government must desist, this matter is in court, the court directives are clear on who should have custody of the body and those court orders remain active. So why is government going round in circles on a body? The very thing they have attempted to do from the first day, at this stage government must be discussing with the family to resolve this matter. Mulilo Kabesha has announced that they will bury the late president before elections, but if these are the methods they want to use, it’s regrettable,” he said.

“The correct and proper thing is to engage the family in a noble, familiar way. The family has said we have no complaint and they are wondering why unknown third parties that are being used by the State should file a complaint about the state of the late president. It’s a dangerous precedent that anyone should be conducting a post-mortem on the body of the late president without the consent or knowledge of the family, that is a dangerous precedence that is being set. And government must desist from these activities”.

Mwamba said President Hakainde Hichilema has failed to demonstrate leadership in handling the matter.

“There is no leadership. President Hakainde Hichilema has failed to show leadership in this matter. He should show leadership, he should ensure that the negotiations are done and completed with the family and they should come and put the president to rest. This is just lack of leadership and we continue to be a spectacle in the region, an embarrassing spectacle in the region because of lack of leadership. We appeal to President Hakainde Hichilema to demonstrate leadership and ensure that his predecessor is dignified and is put to rest in a respectable manner. The police will not resolve this matter,” said Mwamba.

Efforts to get a comment from Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha proved futile by press time.

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