STOP MISLEADING THE NATION: DR V J MWANGA MUST TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT THE LUNGU FUNERAL IMPASSE- Thandiwe Ketiš Ngoma

STOP MISLEADING THE NATION: DR V J MWANGA MUST TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT THE LUNGU FUNERAL IMPASSE

By Thandiwe Ketiš Ngoma

With due respect, Dr V J Mwanga should stop misleading the masses in the name of massaging President Hakainde Hichilema’s ego. During a recent interview, he chose to blame the Lungu family and accuse them of imposing unfair conditions regarding the funeral of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu. Such assertions are not only inaccurate but deeply unfair to a grieving family that has consistently maintained a clear and principled position.

Let us set the record straight.

The Lungu family did not refuse a state funeral. This must be stated without ambiguity. The family has not rejected the Government’s offer to accord former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu a state funeral. What they have done is reiterate, in clear and respectful terms, the known and publicly documented wishes of the late former Head of State.

It is already in the public domain that President Edgar Chagwa Lungu ceased to be a beneficiary of presidential privileges the moment he returned to active politics. At that point, he reverted to being a private citizen under the law. His benefits were withdrawn, and he thereafter lived as an ordinary citizen of Zambia. He sought medical treatment in South Africa not as a state-supported former Head of State, but as a private individual.

More importantly, President Lungu himself made his wishes known. He indicated that, in the event of his death, he desired to be buried as a private citizen. However, he also made it clear that, should the Government choose—out of grace and goodwill—to accord him a state funeral, there was one condition: his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema, should neither preside over the funeral nor be anywhere near his remains.

These wishes were not communicated in secrecy or ambiguity. They were expressed clearly and have since been shared in the public domain by the family. The family’s current position is therefore not an act of defiance against the State, nor is it a rejection of national honour. It is simply a request that the final wishes of their loved one be respected.

Dr Mwanga’s attempt to portray this as the family imposing unreasonable terms or rejecting a state funeral is misleading. It distorts the truth and inflames public sentiment at a time when empathy, restraint, and honesty are most needed. The issue at hand is not whether the former President deserves a state funeral—many agree that he does. The issue is whether the clearly expressed wishes of the deceased should be honoured.

Respecting those wishes does not diminish the dignity of the presidency or the State. A state funeral is defined by the honours, protocol, logistical support, security arrangements, and national recognition accorded by the Government. It is not defined solely by the physical presence of the sitting President. Delegation in such matters is lawful, customary, and widely practised across democracies, particularly where circumstances call for sensitivity and respect for the bereaved family.

Insisting on personal involvement in the face of explicit objections risks deepening national division and prolonging the pain of a bereaved family. Compassionate leadership requires flexibility, humility, and the wisdom to place human dignity above personal or political considerations.

The Lungu family has been consistent from the beginning. They have not refused the state funeral. They have merely asked that the wishes of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu be respected.

However, Dr Mwanga must now be directly challenged. Why has he decided to give a deaf ear to the clearly expressed wishes of the deceased? He has repeatedly claimed that he speaks truth to power. If that is indeed the case, why can he not tell President Hakainde Hichilema to stay away from the funeral and from the remains of Edgar Chagwa Lungu? That is the only sure and honourable way of respecting the late President and ensuring he receives a dignified send-off in accordance with his own wishes.

Speaking truth to power cannot be selective. It cannot be directed only at those without authority while sparing those who hold power. True courage requires consistency.

Zambians are therefore entitled to ask: Is Dr Mwanga failing to speak this truth because of proximity to power? Is he reluctant to advise the President accordingly because he benefits from alignment with his tribal or political leadership?

These questions arise not from malice but from the glaring contradiction between his claim of moral courage and his silence on the one action that would immediately resolve this impasse and restore dignity to the funeral arrangements.

This moment calls for honesty in public discourse and responsibility from those who shape public opinion. Dr Mwanga and others must refrain from advancing narratives that mislead the nation and instead help promote truth, empathy, and national unity.

Misleading narratives will not bring closure. Respect, compassion, and adherence to the wishes of the deceased will.

Let truth guide our conversations.
Let compassion guide our actions.
And above all, let Edgar Chagwa Lungu be laid to rest in dignity and peace.