STATE HOUSE ALSO PUBLIC INTEREST
…HH cannot demand ECL burial in Zambia while living in own house – Sakwiba
By Mast Reporter
IT IS in the public interest as well that President Hakainde Hichilema shifts from his private residence to State House, senior lawyer and United Liberal Party (UPL) president Sakwiba Sikota has said.
It is also in public interest that Hichilema stays away from Lungu’s body.
Sikota, a State Counsel and chairperson of the opposition United Kwacha Alliance (UKA), said yesterday just as the State was citing public interest as the reason for demanding that Edgar Lungu be buried in Zambia at all cost, it was also in public interest for Hichilema to live in State House as his official residence instead of living in his private house yet he was head of state.
“A good example of this is for them to only define public interest in relation to the burial of the late president. But when it comes to staying in the State House, they do away with public interest and say ‘it doesn’t apply’, and the president can continue to stay at his own home,” Sikota said.
In an interview with The Mast yesterday, he said Hichilema and the United Party for National Development (UPND) were not sincere in shouting “public interest” on the burial of late Edgar Lungu in Zambia against his wish and the wishes of his family.
He said Hichilema should be sincere with how he was governing the country.
“I think that we have a situation where there’s a lack of sincerity on the part of the government. And they clutch onto statements and sayings when it is only convenient for them,” Sikota said.
He said said it was in the public interest that Hichilema should not be near the body of late Lungu.
Sikota said it was also in the public interest that Hichilema should declare his assets, which he had publicly not done despite repeated demands by various interest groups and individuals.
“People have said that it’s in the public interest that he declares his assets. That is, the President declares his assets. He, himself, before he became President was stating that in order to be transparent and in order to fight against corruption, there will be yearly declarations by himself. Not only by himself, but by his ministers, coming out of his own mouth,” Sikota said.
He said Hichilema’s mouth was full of lies and was not ashamed of telling them.
“He doesn’t care about the clear public interest and demand of the people, saying that he goes into and lives in State House, that he does public declaration of his assets. All that he doesn’t care about,” Sikota said.
He said government should be sincere to the Zambian people by clearly explaining what they meant they uttered the term ‘public interest’.
Sikota said public interest was to see Lungu’s family happy and the wishes of their loved one were honoured.
“Then there’s the issue of what is public interest. Is it in the public interest that there be a burial of a former president where the family is not going to be present? Is that in the public interest? Clearly, what would be in the public interest is to have a situation where the family is happy, and the State does recognise that they need to make the family happy,” Sikota said.
He said Hichilema should be sincere by obeying the wishes of the Lungu family and completely withdraw from the Lungu funeral.
Sikota said Hichilema and the UPND should be honest and should desist from treating the Lungu family like a dust bin.
“This definition of what is public interest is something that we must also look at carefully. What is in the public interest right now is for Hichilema to respect the Lungu family. The Lungu family’s views must not be put into the dustbin. That is what is in the public interest,” Sikota SC said.
Lungu died in South Africa on June 5 but his remains remain unburied because of a raging legal battle between his family and the Zambian government over who should be in charge of the funeral.
Last Friday, the Gauteng High Court Pretoria Division ordered the family to surrender the body to the government for immediate repatriation and burial in Zambia citing public interest.
But the Lungu family immediately obtained leave to appeal and successfully appealed, technically staying the repatriation pending the outcome of the appeal.
