HH asks Zimbabwe to help resolve ECL burial impasse

PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has said Zambia would appreciate any form of support from the government of Zimbabwe to resolve the impasse surrounding the funeral and burial of late President Edgar Lungu so that the former head of State could be buried in Zambia at Embassy Park, the presidential burial site.
President Hichilema has acknowledged that there is indeed an impasse between the family of former President Lungu and government, which has delayed the interring of the head of State for close to three months.
Speaking when Second Vice President of Zimbabwe, Kembo Mahadi paid a courtesy call on him at State House yesterday, Presideht Hichilema said all his five predecessors had been buried at Embassy Park, whether they liked it or not and that it was his desire that former President Lungu should be put to rest at the designated presidential burial site. Soon after former President Lungu died, an impasse broke out as the Zambian government decided that President Hichilema was going to preside over the funeral and burial of his predecessor against the wishes of the late president that his successor should never be anywhere near his remains.
President Emerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe then delegated Vice President Constantino Chiwenga to meet President Hichilema with the hope of resolving the impasse.
“We have an impasse on the burial of our Sixth Republican President Edgar Lungu. We have a tradition and legal established framework established by Zambians and also as a matter of practice that Presidents, whether we like it or not, those of us sitting here have limited choices. All the five Presidents before me are lying at Embassy Park and we hope we can continue with the tradition,” President Hichilema said.
“If you ask me, do I like the place (Embssy Park), the answer is no, I do not but I have a limited choice. I am saying this so that we put it in context and we hope to resolve this. Our team in there (South Africa) engaging the family. Any support we can get from you (Zimbabwe), we shall highly appreciate so that we can end the impasse, the head of State said.
President Hichilema explained that Zambia and Zimbabwe were truly one family, stating that the leaders before the current leadership in both countries had carried the tradition of that the two nations would remain one.