SPEAKER of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti has reserved the ruling on the prolonged absence of ‘grieving’ Chawama constituency Member of Parliament Tasila Lungu from legislative sessions of the house.
The request for the ruling was made by United Party for National Development (UPND) Zambezi East Member of Parliament Brian Kambita.
This follows revelation by the former First Lady Esther Lungu who recently expressed that the Lungu family, currently in South Africa did want to return home
Esther filed in a South African court where she, her family, lawyer and morgue is sued, by the Zambian Government to allow the repatriation and burial of former president Edgar Lungu in Zambia following his death on June 5, 2025.
In her submission, the former First Lady asked for potential protection or permanent residence in South Africa, claiming ongoing legal harassment and political animosity in Zambia as reasons for seeking asylum.
According to her submission, Esther stated that her family remains committed to appearing in Zambian courts for ongoing cases but could no longer reside in the country permanently.
Esther asked the South African High Court Gauteng Division in Pretoria to dismiss the application for repatriation of Edgar Lungu’s body, stressing that her husband’s dying wishes and the family’s constitutional rights must be upheld.
This however worried Zambezi East lawmaker Kambita, who suggested that Tasila’s prolonged absence from parliament is depriving the people of her constituency of representation in the august house.
Kambita highlighted the unique circumstances of Tasila’s position, alluding to the possibility that her absence from parliament was related to her family’s legal battles in South Africa.
Kambita questioned whether the lawmaker’s extended absence was a sign that she had no intentions of returning to fulfill her parliamentary responsibilities, effectively depriving her constituents of effective representation.
“Madam Speaker, I refer to Standing Order 243 which governs members’ absences from Parliament. I am concerned on the statements made that suggest that Tasila has no intention of returning to fulfill her duties as an MP. This deprives the people of Chawama of representation in Parliament, which is not acceptable. I request a ruling from you, Madam Speaker, on this issue,” he stated.
But in response, speaker Mutti acknowledged the gravity of the issue, stating that she would reserve her ruling on Tasila’s prolonged absence.
“Ruling is reserved, let’s proceed,” she said.
By Sharon Zulu
Kalemba July 16, 2025
