The body of former president, Edgar Chagwa Lungu must be repatriated to his home country and buried among his people.
This was the overall sentiment expressed in Midrand on Thursday as several South African civic movements gathered for a joint media briefing under the banner of Progressive Forces of South Africa.
“Our duty is to protect the country from internal and external threats. On the issue of Mr Edgar Lungu, this comes as a threat to South Africa as a nation. The question is, when a person of the stature of Mr Lungu is being buried, whose flag is being lowered? Is it our South African flag, or is it a Zambian flag? This is not anybody,” said Rachel Makhubele, secretary-general of Defend South Africa.
“He deserves dignity as the former president of Zambia. The issue of the family, as Defend SA we stand for transparency and accountability. The family should go back home and account for those crimes that we hear. South Africa is not a country where we harbour criminals. The government should try to control the level of criminals that are entering our South African country.
“We have the issue of illegal immigrants in South Africa, it is not a lie. We are dealing with this issue. If a person of Mr Lungu’s status is buried in South Africa, it will encourage many Zambian citizens to come here, saying they are coming to see their president’s grave. At the end of the day, they end up staying in South Africa,” she said.
Makhubele insisted that she was not being xenophobic, but her organisation is “trying to protect what belongs to us”.
The government of the Republic of Zambia last month said it will abide by the ruling of South African courts in the tense standoff over the burial of the mortal remains of the country’s former president.
One of Africa’s deepest episodes of political rivalry and animosity is playing out before South African courts, with Lungu’s family saying one of the former president’s dying wishes was that his successor and political nemesis, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, should not go anywhere near his body.
However, state funeral arrangements made in Zambia, in anticipation of receiving the former president’s mortal remains in Lilongwe, had Hichilema at the center, as the commander-in-chief of the Zambian Defence Forces. The Zambian government had planned State funeral arrangements in Zambia, in anticipation of receiving the former president’s mortal remains in Lilongwe, with Hichilema at the center of the ceremony.
Bonang Sepoloane, national organiser of Progressive Force of South Africa, said the family of the late president has to go back to Lusaka and answer regarding the charges before courts.
“As South Africans, we know very well, we have the issue of land since colonisation and also apartheid. We have land claims that are being claimed via ancestry lineage. Graves are part of the instruments that we use when we want to claim the land. In the future, we are going to have an issue of Lungus in the generation to come and claim land in South Africa, pointing to their grandfather’s grave.
She acknowledged that Zambia played a pivotal role towards the independence of different African nations, including South Africa.
Zambia still has graves of several South African freedom fighters who were exiled during apartheid. Some of the skeletal remains of the freedom fighters have recently been repatriated back to South Africa.
“We are not fighting the Zambians. What we will not allow is the current African leaders who loot coffers of their people, to come and enjoy the loot in peace, in South Africa. We know very well that African leaders have been looting their countries, and going to enjoy these resources in Europe and the West.
“With this case, we have now found that there are more looters who have found a haven in our country South Africa,” said Sepoloane.
Indigenous monarch King Khalo la Bataung Jacob Hlalele of the Bataung ba Hlalele Royal Kingdom sent condolences to the Lungu family and the people of Zambia. He however insisted that Lungu’s body must be buried in Zambia.
“I am saying, it will be a taboo if we can let the Zambian president be buried here. Everybody, according to the traditions, culture and rituals, must be buried where the elders’ bones and graves are. No negotiations. I do not need to say anything. This is our people and this is what we know,” he said.
“Let the Zambian president go and be buried where his ancestors are close.”
Mthunzi Luthuli from the Progressive Civics Congress also added his voice, saying Lungu should be buried amongst his people, particularly in the designated area reserved for leaders.
“It cannot be that people come from foreign countries to bury their presidents here in South Africa,” he said.
SOURCE: IOL News
First you agree on something. You then state changing position and the family then says we shall bury here. In anger you cancel national mourning and say do whatever you want, we are moving on with our lives. Later you send chiefs, senior government officials and some politically aligned church leaders to renegotiate.
That fails and you summon the South African foreign affairs minister who informs you there is a precedent in their country that the family has final say.
You then dispatch our AG to sue the family AND the South African minister personally.
A week after you fund an organisation whose sole aim is to disparage the family and claim they are defending South Africa.
What do you want with the body imwe?
You see it that way?
The truth remains and will come out even in the next generation when Lungu ‘s great grandchildren will claim land in SA and point to their grandfather’s grave.Do not pretend as if you grew up among the western culture,this is real even you and your ancestors knows it is true.obtaining some sort of education does not take you away from your culture and roots.
One point that caught my attention at this conference was that Lungu was traveling between RSA and Zim on the one part, and Uganda on the other.
Then we have plans from the family of no body viewing, no cameras.
One thing we should accept at our own peril is that Lungu is dead without seeing his body and confirm his DNA.
There is more to this case than what we have heard so far.
Remember there is “Plan B”.
After this court case, some people will be deeply embarrassed. Mark my words.
I don’t know where you got that information from. Did you see the initial agreement which the government abrogated? The family lawyer did say that there was to be body viewing in Chipata, Ndola and Lusaka and they had to agree to Lusaka only because the government refused Chipata and Ndola. They further said that the body would move from his residence to Mulungushi for three days for body viewing before burial.
So this argument that ECL didn’t die and there was no body viewing requirement by the family needs to stop.
Also, have you not come across the death certificate by now? Its a shame we should be having this discussion honestly.
Please state what position the government changed. State it don’t just write out hatred and bitterness
How come the daily Paparazzi (he of the open grave yapping) has not posted his daily toxic post on this Article today? Where are you Mate?
The Mingalatoon at it again. This ‘ mercenary ‘ organization was just formed 2 weeks, and has the hallmarks of the Mingalatoon. He is a see through with his under 5 schemes . It’s him through and through pushing Hopelessness in a foreign country.
One thing he should know is that mercenary organizations have no fixed allegiance. They go to the highest bidder, and when chickens start coming home to roost, he will be embarrassed big time…
Munshebwa…
The matter is in court. Let the Courts make their decision, without undue influence from rogue media and hired mercenary organizations. We are tired of the mudslinging against the Lungu family, obviously sponsored by the Mingalatoon.
STOP IT.
Typo. “Was just formed 2 weeks ago”
A Thief believes everyone is a Thief, so does a good man he believes everyone is good. A corrupt mind believes everyone is corrupt and can be corrupted. A Tribalist believes everyone is a Tribalist.
Exactly
South Africa has a very big demographic problem. South Africa belong to South Africans and moreover they have very serious issues concerning their land with the white minorities. These people have a right to their freedom of speech and aspirations in their country.
So you want the Lungu family to have more freedom in a foreign country than the indigenous peoples themselves. Let them vent their views it’s their country. Whether those organizations were formed 2 minutes ago or they’re not registered anywhere is not a problem. The fact remains that they’re South Africans and are within their legal liberties to express their opinions. The bottom line is that the Lungu family looted this country to the core, and his body is a bargaining chip for relief.
The Lungu family is just reaping what it sowed, people get tired and move on with life. There’s no rest for the wicked and the Lungu family is testing their own medicine. I just hope these guys will petition the case just in case the family wins.
Between now and 4th August, I see an avalanche of anything under the sun thrown by the heartless Mingalatoon to sway the courts to rule against the Lungu family..
If ‘ mercenary ‘ organizations can be formed to invoke xenophobic innuendos against a grieving family, just know how heartless and low some people can be.. The heartless have tried everything in the book, but the family remains firm and resolute in honoring the wishes of the deceased. Sensing defeat in the courts , they have resorted to ‘ lumpen behavior ‘. The last kicks of the heartless Mingalatoon!
Now they want to turn some sponsored degenerates in South Africa against the family..I won’t be surprised if sponsored crowds start demonstrating against the Lungus at their home in South Africa.
I really feel for the Lungu family , and my prayers go to them for their safety.
Some people are just that , Heartless.
But in Bemba we say ‘ Umupampamina watuulile ing’oma’ ..one will get what he didn’t bargain for. Nipano tuli.
Clearly, some people have poor reasoning. To them, anyone who does not align with their illogical point of view has been bribed. To them, people can not have a different position from them unless they have been bribed. If that is not being illogical, then I don’t know what it is.
It’s just foolishness and stupid at the same time.
Typically Zambians.
Categorically PF.
This part should not have been formed.
It is stupidity actually…
Very true.
And i want to quote from the above passage:
“He deserves dignity as the former president of Zambia. The issue of the family, as Defend SA we stand for transparency and accountability. The family should go back home and account for those crimes that we hear. South Africa is not a country where we harbor criminals. The government should try to control the level of criminals that are entering our South African country
I personally don’t agree with you. We just need to use a simple logic here. ECL was not an ordinally person, Zambians need to burry their former president, as simple as that. Let the body come back and be buried in the land of his ancestors. Of course the Lungu family is not free in Zambia because of too many skeletons in the carboard. We all know that there is something that they are hiding and they don’t want Zambians to know anything about their secrets.
The issue of forming the organization 2 weeks ago doesn’t hold water. they have the right to talk about their country in whatever way they want.
As simple as that!!