President of Zambia Hakaindema suddenly ended the national mourning time of former President Edgar Lungu in a growing stance between family and authorities regarding burying plans.
It follows the last minute cancellation of Luu’s return from South Africa to his family on Wednesday, leaving the country unpredictable when and where the former leader was buried.
In his talk on Thursday night, President Hacainde announced Hictaindea ending the mourning time, saying the country needed to “resume normal life”.
“The government makes everything possible to associate with the family when we leave the sixth president,” Hichilema said.
The national mourning period originally runs from 8 to 14 June but later expanded until 23 June, with flags flying in half mast and radio stations playing solemn music.
The extension follows a meeting between Lungu’s government and family officials to try to resolve the deadlock in his funeral program.
Burial arrangements have been completed And his remnants are due to returning home on Wednesday in a private charter plane.
President Hichilema and senior officials prepared for receiving the coffin with full honors in the military, and the plans were set for the body of Sunday Sunday and funeral.
However, Luu’s family on Wednesday was blocked by restoring luu lives, saying that the government changed funeral plans.
The family said that former President’s body was released “several days” and buried in Zambia.
The government declares to regret family action and issued the government’s apology in South Africa and military, preparing for the handerover.
“It is sad that their efforts are worthless,” said Hichilema.
He added that Luugha, a former president, “belongs to the country of Zambia” and his body must be buried in Zambia full of honors, and not in other countries “.
Hichilema said his government “has reached a point where a clear decision is necessary,” adding that the country “cannot be led to a state of endless mourning”.
The Patriotic Patriotic Front (PF), the Lugu party brought to his death, supporting family position.
“The government makes a solemn occasion in a political game,” says the PF Acting President given Lubinda. “This is not how we treat a former head of the state.”
The civil society groups call for an urgent resolution of this matter, with a section of religious leaders who say that stand-off “hurts the dignity of our country”.
“We begged for humility, dialogue, and a resolution that honors the former president as the country was held together,” Emmanuel Chikoya, the Council of the Council of Zambia.
The government calls for calm and strengthening its willingness to continue interact with the Impaste family.
Luu, leading Zambia from 2015 to 2021, died earlier in this month of South Africa where he received treatment for an unclear disease.
After six years as the head of the state, Luuu lost 2021 Hichileema elections through a large margin. He returned from politics but later returned to the fray.
He had ambitions to change again for the presidency but at the end of the last year he was banned from the Constitutional court, serving that he allowed the law.
Despite his disqualification from the President’s election, he remained more influential in Zambian politics and did not stop his criticism of his successor.
Wycliffe Muia reported additional
