Omission of ECL from list of former President causing tension - CCZ

THE deliberate omission of late former President Edgar Lungu from the list of Zambia’s former Presidents is not only unfortunate but has caused unnecessary tension among Zambians in the country, the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) has said. Father James Phiri, the CCZ General Secretary has strongly chastised attempts to obliterate and erase the presidency and legacy of former President Lungu, warning that rewriting history of the country could be a source of divisions and tension in the country. Fr Phiri said the omission of Zambia’s Sixth President from the list of former heads of State was sending the message that the current government was attempting to erase the former president’s legacy. “Zambia’s history cannot be written without acknowledging former President Lungu’s presidency and contribution to the country, regardless of differing political opinions. Zambians should learn to respect the former head of state’s place in the nation’s history,” Fr Phiri said. Meanwhile, Reverend Allan Kasungami, the Executive Director of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia, says all former heads of state deserved respect and recognition for their contributions to the country, despite their imperfections. Rev Kasungami said the Church regrets the omission of former President Lungu’s image whether intentional or unintentional, stating that the incident should serve as a reminder of the importance of respecting the country’s former leaders. Rev Kasungami has welcomed the Zambia Daily Mail’s public apology, saying admitting mistakes and apologizing when wrong were important steps towards promoting unity and reconciliation in communities. There must be respect for both the deceased and serving national leaders. Former President Lungu’s contribution to Zambia’s history should be acknowledged, while the current President should be accorded the dignity befitting the office,” Rev Kasungami said. And political historian Dr Euston Chiputa has said the omission of former President Lungu from the list of other former Presidents may have been an inadvertent mistake and should not be attributed to the government without evidence. “I have read the newspaper’s apology and I believe the matter should now be put to rest. Dr Chiputa speculates that the incident could be linked to internal administrative challenges following a change of leadership at the newspaper, although he stresses that this is his personal assessment. – MILLENNIUM TV

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