DR SISHUWA CONDEMNS GOVERNMENT’S TREATMENT OF THE FORMER LATE PRESIDENT LUNGU

DR SISHUWA CONDEMNS GOVERNMENT’S TREATMENT OF THE FORMER LATE PRESIDENT LUNGU

Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa has publicly condemned President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration for its management of the death and burial of former President Edgar Lungu.

According to Dr Sishuwa, although President Lungu no longer poses any threat, the current leadership remains a danger due to what he describes as its self-serving conduct.

He contended that the government prioritized political advantage over compassion immediately following Lungu’s passing.

Dr Sishuwa alleged that when Edgar Lungu died a year ago, the incumbent government’s focus was far from offering sympathy or supporting the bereaved family. Instead, they sought personal and political gain.

He said that President Hichilema insisted on attending the funeral, and when this was denied, the government obstructed the burial altogether.

This obstruction, Dr Sishuwa noted, led to the unnecessary expenditure of public resources, including the engagement of foreign legal experts ostensibly to safeguard the government’s interests.

He portrayed these actions as motivated by self-interest rather than respect for dignity or genuine sympathy.

Furthermore, Dr Sishuwa accused the government of initially barring the late president from seeking crucial medical treatment abroad, suggesting that this was a deliberate move that contributed to his death.

Following Lungu’s demise, he said, the authorities interfered excessively in the burial process. Among other contentious acts, the government reportedly revoked the parliamentary seat of Lungu’s daughter, citing her presence at the site of her father’s unburied body instead of attending parliamentary sessions as justification.

Dr Sishuwa branded this behavior as cruel and hypocritical.

He also reported that the government’s representatives conducted an unauthorized autopsy and allegedly removed body parts or even live-streamed incidents involving the deceased’s remains, thereby deepening the distress of the grieving family.

Despite the passage of a year, the body remains unburied, prolonging the family’s ordeal.

Dr Sishuwa has called on the Supreme Court of Appeal to overturn a controversial High Court decision and restore the family’s control over the burial process.

He concluded with a plea urging that those responsible for both the late president’s death and the ongoing denial of his burial be excluded from the final funeral rites, underscoring the need for dignity and justice in this solemn matter.