“OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE DEAD, I HAVE DECIDED TO STAY AROUND – HH
July 9, 2025
LUSAKA – President Hakainde Hichilema has broken his silence on why he has not been travelling within and outside Zambia in recent weeks, stating that he made a deliberate decision to remain in the country due to the ongoing unresolved funeral matters surrounding the late former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
This statement has once again proved the armchair critics and doomsayers wrong, as the President clarified the reasoning behind his recent low public visibility.
Speaking at State House during a meeting with the United States Ambassador to Zambia, His Excellency Mr. Michael C. Gonzales, President Hichilema said, “I have not been travelling outside and within the country because of the funeral we need to put to bed.”
The Head of State emphasized that it would be culturally inappropriate to proceed with international and domestic engagements while the nation remained in mourning and unresolved matters lingered.
The President further disclosed that he had delegated some Cabinet Ministers to represent him in other important national assignments, both locally and abroad.
Contrary to the armchair critics, President Hichilema’s absence from some national engagements arose from his personal consciousness and respect for the dead, as our cultural norms dictate, as a way to promote national unity during this period of mourning.
“We can’t have a situation like this. It’s really unnecessary. This is not how we respect the dead in our culture,” he said, adding that quiet and respectful dialogue with the bereaved family was ongoing.
He reiterated his commitment to finding closure, saying he hopes the nation can soon move forward in unity and dignity.
Again, the Head of State has proved the propagandists and doomsayers wrong by correcting the narrative on his public engagements.
(C) UPND MEDIA TEAM