I’M SHOCKED, IN DENIAL
… Those who saw Lungu as a political threat shouldn’t be excited – Wina
By George Zulu
WHEN the news of Edgar Chagwa Lungu’s death broke, I was devastated and I’m still in that state of denial and shock, former vice president Inonge Wina has said.
And Wina has warned those who might have regarded Lungu as a political threat not to be excited now that he is dead.
Wina said when she featured on Crown TV Lungu’s contribution to Zambia was “enormous”.
She said this was not the first time Zambia was mourning a head of state, and appealed for peace, unity and understanding.
Wina said as Zambians mourned Lungu, they should realise that he was a peaceful man who always wanted to make peace with everyone.
“Mr Lungu was a very peaceful man. He never knew how to quarrel with anyone and we have to keep it that way. So for those that are already uttering words that injure others I ask them I beg them to stop. For those that feel that this is the time to be excited because a leader who might have posed a political threat is gone, they have to stop,” Wina said.
“He wanted to see that prosperous Zambia through the infrastructure development that was started by his predecessor. And as such he was very focused on the implementation of infrastructure to open up Zambia to the outside world, to open up Zambia to other African countries through infrastructure,” she said.
Wina said Lungu was a focused man who knew what he was doing, was accommodating and left the ministers to do their work without interference unless a minister met obstacles in their discharge of duties.
She said Lungu gave power to institutions of governance to carry out their works independently.
“He was very instrumental in guiding his subordinates and he was very unassuming. You never detected a feeling of this man is head of state, and he is so humble he does not believe that he knows everything in the world,” Wina said.
“He was one of the walkers of this country because he believed in the collective leadership of his colleagues, that of people who worked with him closely like myself. He would listen to advice and he would give guidance.”
Wina said the impact of Lungu’s death would be felt across all corners of the nation because of his political comeback focused on uniting all the opposition political parties ahead of next year’s general elections.
She urged the opposition Tonse Alliance, of which Lungu was chairman, not to break up but to continue driving the former president’s agenda of national unity.
“The impact will be felt immediately because as you know, he had joined other political parties. He had brought together other political parties not necessarily to be voted in as president but to ensure that there’s unity in the country between and among the political players. …the vacuum will be felt and we are already feeling it. And I’m hoping earnestly that the Tonse Alliance that he was able to forge together or to bring together in reality will continue and that the leaders in those various political parties will adhere to the spirit of oneness in honouring our former republican president,” Wina said.
She said Lungu was a humble man who was polite to others and able to listen and tolerate divergent views.
Wina urged the United Party for National Development (UPND) to ensure that there was peace in the country which could only come through civil interactions.
“Let me give a piece of advice, particularly to the ruling party. The ruling party, the UPND, has a huge responsibility to ensure that there is peace in this country. And the peace will come about through civil interactions,” Wina said.
She said mourners might say so many things because their soul was broken as a result of the loss, and therefore, those in leadership should always be magnanimous enough to show leadership.
Wina said the leadership should realise that the Lungu family and the PF, a party he led, were devastated.
“I really beg that we as a country and as political parties, in particular, we do not accelerate the exchange of negative sayings on the death of our leader,” she said.
