By 
Former Kasenengwa Constituency lawmaker, Sensio Banda, has called on President Hakainde Hichilema to formally delegate the role of presiding over the funeral of the late former President Edgar Lungu to Vice President Mutale Nalumango.
Banda said such a gesture would be empathetic, compassionate, and a decisive “tie-breaker” in the ongoing impasse surrounding Lungu’s burial.
Speaking in an interview with Zambia Monitor, Banda said the move would honour the Lungu family’s consistent request while upholding the state’s obligation to provide a dignified state funeral.
He urged President Hichilema to act as the “big brother” in this sensitive matter, demonstrating statesmanship and a willingness to rise above past political rivalries for the sake of national unity and a respectful farewell.
“This gesture would not only be a mark of respect for the Lungu family and the deceased but also a powerful act of leadership,” Banda said.
He added that it would ensure the former president’s remains were brought home and laid to rest in an atmosphere of peace and dignity — a far better outcome than a burial without the presence of loved ones.
Banda stressed that the proposal was not an admission of wrongdoing but an act of grace and national healing, respecting state funeral protocols while acknowledging the emotional and personal dynamics at play.
“Ultimately, this approach offers a clear and constructive way to resolve the arguments and move forward, allowing the nation to mourn a former head of state with the respect and unity that a moment of national mourning requires,” he said.
He added that the solution was in keeping with Zambian values of compassion and reconciliation and did not violate any laws.
Banda noted that the dispute over the late president’s burial had both captivated and divided the nation, with recent remarks by State Counsel Mulilo Kabesha further highlighting the rift between the government and the Lungu family.
According to Banda, Kabesha’s defensive tone when asked whether the government would seek forgiveness from the Lungu family reflected the deep-seated animosity between President Hichilema and the late president.
He said Kabesha’s counterclaim regarding Hichilema’s treatment while in opposition, though a matter of public record, was ill-timed and unhelpful in the context of mourning a national leader.
“Furthermore, the suggestion that the government could proceed with a burial without the family’s presence created a chilling vision of a national funeral devoid of familial comfort and unity,” Banda said.
He added that such sentiments, coupled with derogatory remarks attributed to some UPND officials and operatives, had only deepened the rift and made constructive dialogue increasingly difficult.
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