MUMBA FIRES BACK: M’MEMBE NOT ARRESTED FOR CALLING FOR LUNGU’S BURIAL “WORDS THAT DIVIDE HAVE CONSEQUENCES”
March 4,2026
Former Vice President and pastor of 45 years, Nevers Mumba, has strongly defended the recent arrest of Socialist Party President Fred M’membe, dismissing claims that the detention was merely for calling for the burial of late former President Edgar Lungu.
In a statement, Mumba said it was misleading to frame M’membe as a victim who was arrested simply for demanding that President Lungu be laid to rest. According to Mumba, many church leaders, elders, political figures from both the ruling party and opposition, and ordinary citizens have appealed for dialogue and closure over the burial impasse without facing arrest.
“We were not arrested,” Mumba emphasized, arguing that the difference lies in the language and tone used.
He contended that M’membe went beyond calling for the burial by publicly questioning what President Hakainde Hichilema “wanted with the body” and asking whether he intended to “eat it” remarks Mumba described as deeply provocative within Zambia’s cultural context.
“In our African setting, such language carries serious implications,” Mumba said. “It suggests ritualistic undertones and borders on accusations of witchcraft a matter that is not only culturally sensitive but also legally prohibited.”
Ba Mumba of all people why are you so vocal????, what you are glamouring for will never take place other people will be considered before you because people already know your appetite for power, Mwanawasa saw through you and gave you a big boot for a reason. The person you are trying to please knows better, and he knows how to distance himself from you.