PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has made a clarion call on Zambians to be loving and united as the country mourns former Head of State Edgar Lungu who died in South Africa last week Thursday.
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In a televised address last evening, President Hichilema pleaded that Zambians be allowed to bid farewell to their former president with respect and honour that befits the high office he once held.
The President urged citizens to show the world that even in moments of sorrow, Zambians would respond with grace, dignity, and unshakeable belief that good shall always triumph over evil.
He said; “now was the time to put aside our differences, to rise above division, work together for the common good”.
“We make this humble and sincere plea, let us allow the people of Zambia to bid farewell to their former president with respect and honour that befits the high office he once held,” President Hichilema appealed.
“We trust in God, we trust in his purpose, may we mourn together in dignity, in unity,” he added.
Further, the President said as a Christian nation, Zambia turned to God for wisdom, praying for comfort, peace and God’s guiding hand for “our beloved republic”.
The President also stressed that there was need for the country to embrace the bereaved family and the Patriotic Front and its members in solidarity, not as political rivals but as fellow Zambians and brothers and sisters who share a common destiny.
He said political differences did not make citizens enemies but only made them participants in a dynamic democracy as a family with different views and shared aspirations.
“It has now been seven days since the untimely passing of our sixth republican president Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu. Our thoughts remain with the bereaved family whose pain is shared by many across the nation. Those who loved, respected and honoured president Lungu for his service to our country.”
“Indeed Zambia is a nation in mourning not just for the loss of our former Head of State but for the last of the six men who have had the honour of leading our beloved Republic before me. In this moment of collective grief, I wish to make a solemn call for peace, a call for love, a call for unity,” said the Head of State.
President Hichilema added that he understood that some citizens may express their pain through anger and every well meaning citizen must embrace them with understanding, patience and restraint.
“The diversity of opinion is a fundamental right that must be protected, especially in times of national mourning, we understand that some among us may express their pain through anger. And while this is a human response to loss, we must meet it with understanding, patience and indeed restraint. Now more than ever, compassion must guide our actions,” appealed the President.
He also urged UPND members, other political parties and all national stakeholders, to respond to the mourning period with dignity, empathy and respect.
“Do not allow yourselves to be drawn into provocation or division fueled by those who seek to exploit our pain for political gain. Let us be clear, we shall not allow lawlessness or anarchy or disorder to take root, we are a nation built on the rule of law. And that law must preveail without fear or favour.”
He said as a Christian nation, he prayed that Zambians may all turn to God for wisdom.
“We pray for His comfort, empathy and peace. Let love lead. As President, my sacred duty is to serve all citizens, regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity or creed. Now is the time to unite. Let us allow the people of Zambia to bid farewell to their former president with respect and honour that befits the high office he once held,” said President Hichilema.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, June 13, 2025
