Mocking Grief in Parliament is a New Low! – Mulundika Mukelebai

MOCKING GRIEF IN PARLIAMENT IS A NEW LOW!

By Mulundika Mukelebai

Mocking Grief in Parliament is a New Low! – Mulundika Mukelebai

This afternoon, as I was watching the proceedings in Parliament, I was genuinely shocked by the question of a Member of Parliament from Zambezi East, Brian Kambita.

There are moments in politics when we are reminded of the humanity that binds us all moments when loss, pain, and grief transcend party lines, positions, and power. The passing of a parent is one such moment. It is not a political opponent who mourns; it is a daughter, a family, a child navigating unspeakable sorrow.

That is why ba Kambita’s point of order questioning why Hon. Tasila Lungu Mwansa  is not in the house “mourning when they want the body” was not only cruel, tone-deaf, but utterly unbecoming of a Member of Parliament. This was not a matter of parliamentary procedure; it was a calculated, sarcastic attempt to score cheap political points by mocking a woman who is in mourning. It reflects a disturbing erosion of empathy, compassion, and basic human decency in our politics.

We are Africans. We know the weight of losing a parent. We understand the complexities of mourning, the traditions, the cultural expectations, and the emotional toll it takes on an individual and their family. For ba Kambita to reduce this sacred process to a stunt on the floor of Parliament is wrong. What was he hoping to achieve? Applause? Headlines? A fleeting moment of relevance?

This reminded me of an incident that happened a dew weeka ago and Not that I am laughing, because I too lost a father and fully understand the pain, just four weeks ago, a day after President Lungu passed away, a friend of mine read the tribute I wrote to him and came into my inbox to mock me. She said all sorts of foolish and insensitive things about the departed. I chose not to answer. I ignored her completely. Later, I shared this with my mother, and her response was simple but profound: “Mwana wandi, infwa tabaseka because from dust we came and to dust we shall all return.” She went on to say, “Imfwa ilanguka, ngai ilipamunobe awe.” Death is humbling, and when it visits another, we must never mock, for tomorrow it may be at your door.

As time passed, a mutual friend called me two nights ago and said, “Do you know ABC lost her dad two weeks ago?” Shockingly, she hadn’t told anyone, nor did she post about it on Facebook perhaps because she knew how she behaved online when President Lungu died. I sent our mutual friend screenshots of what this person had said about the late President, and even my friend was left speechless. How can a fellow human being be so happy at another person’s loss, only to taste the same sorrow days later?

What am I saying? Be empathetic to one another. No one knows tomorrow. We lose, and we keep losing. Grief does not choose sides. Today it is them; tomorrow it could be you. Be careful what you say, because once words are spoken, they can never be taken back.

The Speaker was right to reserve her ruling and i hope her ruling will be what we all expect. Parliament must remain a sacred place for serious debate and national business, not a platform for those who wish to turn grief into mockery.

Leadership is not just about holding office; it is about upholding humanity, compassion, and respect for those who suffer even when they sit across the aisle.

Hon. Tasila Lungu Mwansa deserves time and space to mourn her father.

Zambia deserves leaders who understand where politics must end, and where basic human decency must begin.

SE