By NATION REPORTER
FORMER President Edgar Lungu was yesterday blocked from travelling to the Copperbelt to attend the funeral of the father to former Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji.
His chartered flight on Corporate Air was cancelled as he waited to board at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport.
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Geoffrey Mwamba who was one of the organisers confirmed that the State had blocked Mr Lungu from travelling to the Copperbelt even after the manifest for his scheduled trip was given to the authorities a day before.
The State, he said, refused to clear Corporate Air, the flight that was chartered for him.
Mr. Mwamba said the manifest to the chartered plane was delivered on Monday for clearance but that the State decided not to clear the former head of State.
Mr Mwamba said although the State had not officially denied Mr Lungu access to travel to the Copperbelt, their silence and non-clearance of the flight was confirmation that the former President had been stopped from travelling.
“Former President Lungu is being expected here in Chililabombwe for the funeral of the father to our dear brother Joseph Malanji. But we have information that the former President has been blocked from flying into Chililabombwe on a chartered plane. We had delivered the manifest to the chartered plane and when the name of former President Lungu came up, all the people responsible for clearing flights went mute. There has been silence from yesterday (Monday). President Lungu even left his residence for the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA) and no one said anything to him,” Mr Mwamba said.
He said it was shocking that the State could block the former head of State from travelling to the Copperbelt for a funeral for the father to his former Foreign Affairs minister.
“In Zambia and Africa generally, we respect funerals. This is our culture and we are disheartened that President Lungu cannot be allowed to attend a funeral for the father to our brother Joseph Malanji. President Hakainde Hichilema pomised to unite Zambia and we were happy and expectant that he meant his word. But it would seem that President Hichilema does not mean any word he says. We seem to be getting more divided than ever before,” Mr Mwamba said.
Efforts to get a comment from Ambrose Lufuma, the Minister of Defence failed because he was locked up in a meeting by press time.
However, Minister of Transport and Logistics Frank Tayali denied that the State had stopped Mr Lungu from travelling to the Copperbelt for the funeral.
Mr Tayali said it was not true that the former President had been blocked from travelling, stating that nothing of that sort had happened. He advised that the newspaper should verify its facts by talking to relevant authorities and avoid making the story sensational.
“Who are you talking to about this. Please talk to relevant authorities and verify your facts because nothing of that sort has happened. Do not sensationalise your story,” Mr Tayali said.
Sources from the KKIA however confirmed that Mr Lungu had been blocked from travelling and that the former head of State was at the airport but could not be allowed to proceed to board his chartered plane because it had not been cleared.
A visit to KKIA confirmed that former President Lungu arrived at the domestic wing for his scheduled flight to the Copperbelt but officials informed him that his flight had been cancelled.
No reasons were given for the cancellation of the flight and efforts to get a comment from Corporate Air failed as their mobile phone went answered.
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