Zambia: ‘Let’s Mourn Chiluba With Dignity’

22 June 2011

MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya has said Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata should stop politicising the funeral of second president of the Republic of Zamba Frederick Chiluba and allow the Zambian people and the bereaved family to mourn with dignity.

She said this in reaction to a statement by Mr Sata on Radio Phoenix “Let the people talk” programme yesterday that the Government neglected Dr Chiluba and did not evacuate him to South Africa for medical treatment until he died.

Ms Siliya said it was clear that Mr Sata wanted Dr Chiluba to die in jail because he condemned the High Court verdict that cleared him of allegations of corruption while the Government ensured that he was periodically taken to South Africa for medical treatment.

She reminded Mr Sata that he was on record as having threatened to arrest Dr Chiluba in an unlikely event that he won the presidency.

Ms Siliya, who is minister of Education, said the Government had been taking Dr Chiluba for medical treatment in South Africa where he was even last month.

She said Mr Sata should not gain political mileage out of Dr Chiluba’s death because Zambians knew his true stand on the former president.

Ms Siliya said having listened to the one-sided programme that featured Kabwata Member of Parliament Given Lubinda and former secretary to the Cabinet Sketchley Sachika, several callers appealed for calm and maturity but Mr Sata chose to issue derogatory statements when he called in to the programme.

And United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema has described as immoral and against human values the continued statements deliberately sourced and slanted to injure the reputation of Dr Chiluba.

Mr Hichilema said people taking information to The Post Newspaper with a view to dividing Zambians so that Dr Chiluba was not buried in a dignified manner were guilty of being irresponsible and immoral.

Former preacher for Dr Chiluba, Edith Mutale was yesterday quoted in The Post as saying she was harassed at the funeral house while the Monday edition quoted Kenyan Prime Minister, Raila Odinga as saying people should learn from mistakes of the former Zambian leader.The paper on Sunday also ran an opinion about Dr Chiluba’s perceived mistakes when he was alive.

The UPND leader said it was not strange for The Post and their known sources to discredit dead people and reminded Zambians that even the day late UPND leader Anderson Mazoka’s body arrived at Lusaka International Airport there was a distasteful story in the newspaper discrediting him.

And Alliance for Democracy and Development president Charles Milupi urged all political parties to unite during the funeral of Dr Chiluba.

In an interview yesterday shortly after signing the book of condolences that had been opened in honour of the former leader, Mr Milupi said Dr Chiluba was a pioneer of democracy which was a platform for the formation of opposition political parties in Zambia.

He said the opposition should not shun Dr Chiluba’s funeral on the basis of the differences others had with him because nobody was perfect.

Mr Milupi said his party existed like any other opposition political party because of Dr Chiluba’s leadership.

Egyptian Ambassador to Zambia Salah El- Sadek said Dr Chiluba’s death was a great loss, especially that he had a soft spot for the people of Zambia as well as neighbouring countries.

He said Dr Chiluba would be remembered for changing the country’s economic face and that he had left a legacy of reconciliation, which should be emulated by all.

The Human Rights Commission (HRC) said it was concerned at the apparent politicising of the death of Dr Chiluba and called on the entire nation to unite in this time of sadness and tragedy.

In a statement yesterday, HRC director Enock Mulembe said it was important that politics was set aside so that Zambians mourn the the former Head of State in peace.

AllAfrica – All the Time