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By HOPE MUSONDA
THE Bishops Council of Zambia (BCOZ) has made a clarion call to Government and the family of late former President Edgar Lungu to reconcile so that the former head of State should be put to rest in a dignified manner.
Speaking during a press conference yesterday, BCOZ president Bishop Martin Silwimba has urged government and the family of late President Lungu to put aside their differences in the interest of national unity and peace.
Bishop Silwimba said the prolonged impasse over the burial of the former head of State risked deepening divisions in the country if not urgently addressed.
Bishop Silwimba appealed to the Lungu family to allow the former president to be buried, stressing that doing so would help the nation begin the process of healing and moving forward.
“The country needs closure and as a people, we must find a way to come together, mourn with dignity, and lay our former president to rest in peace,” Silwimba said.
He stated that reconciliation remained the only viable path, stating that both Government and the bereaved family had a responsibility to prioritize national interest over differences.
Bishop Silwimba said the church was ready to intervene in the impasse, stating that it was prepared to travel to South Africa, subject to Government approval, to engage former President Lungu’s family.
Bishop Silwimba said the Council’s mission would be to mediate on behalf of the Government and appeal to the family to consider repatriating the remains of the late former president to Zambia.
“We stand ready, upon approval from the government, to travel to South Africa and engage the family in a spirit of dialogue and understanding, with the hope of reaching an amicable resolution,” he said.
He explained that the Church had a critical role to play in fostering peace, reconciliation and unity, especially in times of national grief.
The standoff over the burial of former President Lungu has drawn concern from various stakeholders, with calls growing louder for an amicable resolution that respects both the wishes of the family and the expectations of the nation.
