YOU CANNOT EQUATE TREATMENT OF KK AND ECL
By Reuben Nyambe
KK died whilst enjoying all the benefits of the office of the former president according to provisions of the law but Lungu died as a private citizen who was not enjoying any of the benefits from the state as former president. Hence the difference in how KK was treated as state property and ECL as a private individual.
ECL died in the care of his family while KK died in the care of the state.
The conditions under which KK died are different from those prevailing at the time of the demise of ECL. ECL died in active politics, so how does the state now say he is state property with full entitlement of the benefits of the office of former president which he was not enjoying as a living former president.
How has death retired Lungu from politics to suddenly be entitled to benefits that were taken from him when he announced his return to politics?
This is the same as saying a worker who abrogates his conditions of service and is under disciplinary measures that make him lose his pension, suddenly regains all his benefits after he has died and his full pension is now fully restored.
If this is not true for any worker in this country, then it certainly is not true that all the entitlements of former president, including medical insurance, are now restored after he ECL has died.
THE TEST:
PROVE THAT THE BENEFITS ARE FULLY RESTORED AS CLAIMED, BY PAYING HIS MEDICAL BILLS NOW THAT HE IS DEAD. IF YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL IN DOING THIS THEN YOU WOULD HAVE SUCCEEDED IN PROVING RESTORATION OF ALL HIS ENTITLEMENTS.
BUT IF YOU HAVE NOT, THEN JUST FORGET AND ADMIT HE IS A PRIVATE CITIZEN AT HIS DEATH, AND HUMBLE YOURSELVES AND COMPLY WITH HIS FAMILY’S DEMANDS.
This is a simplistic analysis – go to law school and learn to argue with good reasoning.
You reduce the whole complex matter to benefits. Find better logic than this. The state and Lungu’s family need to find each other.
Emotions will always be high based on personal allegiances. However the objective view lies in the Former presidents benefits act which prohibits a former president from being in active politics. ECL and his advisors knew this very well. I remember madam Mumbai Phiri ( at the magistrate court complex) advising ECL to forgo the benefits and come back to active politics. On his part ECL said he cannot be held at ransom because of CRUMBS being provided in the former presidents benefits Act and mockingly said he has even shifted from the rented house provided by the STATE. The Man as an adult knew what he wanted and made his choices . It’s therefore unfair and being untruthful to say he was made to suffer on account of the benefits he voluntarily decided to give up.
Bo Nyambe, you sound young in your submission.The law has been there and it was put in the constitution when MMD came to power.Kaunda took long to enjoy life as a former head of state because of wanting to stay in active politics.I can’t talk about other things he passed through.The same with President Rupiah Banda, whose diplomatic passport was even grabbed and was stopped from going for medicals at the airport.President Lungu who was deputy Minister in Home affairs ministry told him that there was an embargo for him and he could not travel.Both Kaunda and Banda lost immunity which ECL never lost.Kaunda was even at one time taken to Mukobeko maximum prison, ECL never even received a police call out.Kaunda was taken to court at one time was declared stateless, ECL remained Zambian until his death.ECL indicated that he had desire to practice active politics.The Constitutional Court stopped him because he served two terms. But he insisted that he will stand in 2026 and his people in PF said no ECL no election for 2026.TONSE alliance was formed and he was handpicked as the President or leader.He refused to be assisted financially for his medicals, this was revealed by Secretary to Cabinet in SA.The switch which stopped him from accessing his benefits may be activated now that there is no reason to leave it on.The family is available, people don’t get benefits for themselves only but family too.The status of former President doesn’t go.Thats why his immunity remained with him and died with it.It is imperative that he be given a state funeral and be mourned with dignity and all the hournors be given to him even in death, he was former head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces of Zambia.The private aspect is neither here nor there.His resting place shall be the designated Embassy Park a heritage burial site for our heads of state.These are our national traditions and values which no one must tamper with.Its illegal to try to hijack that using wills.The interest of the people of Zambia outweighs the family interest.The presidency was set in Kaweche Kaunda case in the High court of Zambia when the family sued because they had the desire to have Kaunda put to rest near the beloved wife’s resting place.I accept to be corrected on my submission if there is a need.
Nyambe are you that foolish to follow what the constitution says, or you just want to make unnecessary noise just for the sake of it.A former president who is active in politics is not entitled to any benefits. If ba Lungu was alive today and approaches the government formally quitting politics, his benefits were definitely going to be reinstated without any question. Simple logic