BURIAL plans of Betty Kaunda took yet another twist yesterday, when her husband Kenneth Kaunda decided that she will be buried in Lusaka instead of Chinsali.
Dr Kaunda’s son, Kaweche, said his father made the ‘difficult’ decision to change the venue of his wife’s burial place after extensive discussions with close family members.
“We expressed concerns regarding our mother resting in Chinsali,” Kaweche told the Daily Mail without elaborating.
“I can now tell you that after a comprehensive look into the matter and serious discussions…the old man consented to one thing – that his beloved wife will be buried here in Lusaka, close to him,” Kaweche said.
Efforts are also being made by the family to see whether the statesman can give them consent to bury his wife in his absence, in a bid to reduce the stress and exhaustion that got him admitted to hospital last Friday.
Mama Betty Kaunda, 83, will be buried at the family residence in the State Lodge area, according to a tentative family plan.
The announcement came just before acting Secretary to the Cabinet Rowland Msiska announced the extension of the period of national mourning of the former First Lady to this Friday from yesterday.
“President Sata has extended the period of national mourning which was declared in honour of Mama Betty, for five days ending Friday September 28, 2012 when burial will take place at 10:00 hours.
During this period, all flags will continue to fly at half-mast and activities of an entertainment nature should be postponed or cancelled,” Dr Msiska said.
Dr Msiska said international sports events will be held as scheduled and will follow international standard practice of observing a minute of silence while sportsmen and women must wear black armbands.
“In the meantime, the first president Dr Kaunda continues to receive treatment at the University Teaching Hospital and has made considerable progress,” Dr Msiska said.
She should have been put to rest in Chinsali, why concentrate all important people in Lusaka. These people have where they come from. And for the sake of history, it woould have been nice to develop Chinsali and mama betty’s resting place would have been one of the tourist attractions. Please lets not make Lusaka a big museum where we will viewing past politicians/ figures remains. Scatter those remains across the country
Get it over with. These people are good at wasting taxpayers money.
# 1, Yes Presidents and former presidents can be buried in Lusaka. Lets leave the Solis & Lenjes to be buried in Lusaka while the rest of us can identify ourselves with where we come from. Lusaka is just an administrative capital of the country. Not everything should happen there.
Chinsali at Shambalakale farm was final resting place for Mama Betty to help rebuild that place into a tourism attraction site.
up to Friday zooona, we have moarned her and the moarning period end just now
Tourist attraction? What kind of thinking is this? Poverty makes one see everything from a “a quick dollar’ point of view.
burying Mama Betty in Chinsali is like throwing her away. The place is dilapidated and none of the Kaunda’s has visited chinsali in over 15 years. Lubwa mission is a shadow of its former self. If KK lives long enough to be able to have a memorial service and unveiling of the tombstone. lusaka is nearer for the old man. He is old now and travelling to chinsali to visit her grave would just finish him off.
I support what Chiselwa is saying after all it is the decision of the husband.Lets not strain the old man anymore.
Revelation 14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” Romans 14:8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
brainwashed
#4 What kind of tourists would be going to visit Chisali for sake of Betty Kaunda, my her soul rest in peace.
I think KK would want to be buried next to his wife, so government be discussing the KK request. Definately KK is not going to be rested in Chinsali.. NO NO NO.
Mwanawasa is to blame for dying earlier than KK.
can govt quickly find a resting place for first ladies as well and not putting them hapharzardly like that
My condolences to Dr Kaunda, Father of the nation, Iam in support with Mama Betty Kaundas burial taking place at the Kaundas residence in Lusaka, it will be easier for Dr Kaunda visiting the grave.
It would be very difficult for Dr Kaunda to be travelling to visit Mama Betty’s grave.
This was a wise decision for the burial to take place in Lusaka
What is the significant of National mourning? Serious nations dont condone such nonsense like you are in a Kingdom.
eish..at our expenses..they can afford to mourn their mother!
Why Chinsali. Its either Lusaka or Malambo in Eastern Province where she comes from being a Banda.
The family has made a right decision to burry her in Lusaka. As an ex-president, KK will be buried in Lusaka as well.
Close to him how ? I bet he means in the same city coz one thing i know for sure is that KK being a former president will be buried at Embassy park and i don`t see state lodge and embassy park being close.
So KK will not be buried at embassy park but at his residence. why is it that political people are allowed to barry their dead around their farms in Lusak when we have a memorial park for burrying the dead?
WHAT ARE ARM BANDS FOR ESPECIALLY BLACK. MSISKA DONT IMPOSE YOUR TRADITIONS ON OTHERS. OTHER PEOPLE DO NOT WEAR ARM BANDS. WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ARM BLACK ARMBANDS THEY ARE DEVILISH.LET US MOURNE OUR REAL MOTHER OF THE NATION IN OUR OWN WAY PLEASE.
I hope this property is their own family one or else if it is a government house built for their retirement then it is not a good idea to bury her there. Once KK passes on this property may one day become government proeperty so when making decisions think twice. KK has properties that are personal and that is where the old lady should be buried, politics is a dirty game and I would not like to see the old lady exumed becaused she is buried on wrong grounds. KK will be buried at Embassy park like Chiluba so they will never be on the same plot for burial.
Embassy park. This is what KK wants that she be buried there. But she should be the only one to be buried there. cause of significance of the first republic & Independence. The rest of first ladies NO. No No.
I m sure we all remember the “Go back to the Land” concept, but imwe namuikala mu lusaka. I would only want to be burried in a place were I have lived and contributed to it’s development mwe
I swear alot of confused people leave comments on this site lol \:d/
The person who preached go back to the land is still in Lusaka. Now he is even failing to take the remains of the wife to shambalakale. Zambians are deceived day in day out. I am a taxpayer and all the time I see my money being wasted. Next we will hear is we fly her to all provincial centers,
A reminder to our leaders, try to develop where they come from. Chinsali has nothing! not even a fuel station. I suspect the Kaunda family have received intelligence report. It was going to be an embarrassment!
Why Chinsali like she even originates from there? She may have been born there but clearly has nothing to do with the area as her parents originated from Malambo, Eastern province…her maiden name is BANDA for that matter.
We should always understand the meaning of death in order to avoid debating unnecessarily over the the dead ones and remember that death is real (Eccl. 9:5) so whether mama Betty she buried in Lusaka or chinsali, she is dead mwebantu. let the family debate over that issue so that we continual focusing on the development of the country
“Mambala” the bloger must shut up as he has no clue as to how the KK’s family was humiliated in Chinsali. We know why the UNIP Govt wisely advised KK re-locate to Sinda Misale after the vicious attacks and damages inflicted at Shambakale in Chinsali. Mama Betty should have been burried at Jumbe in Mambwe District, but Lusaka is a comprise final resting place. Those sad episodes inflicted by the Chinsali people on KK are well documented, and cannot be ignored. KK and his children have all their roots (and mikombo) entreched in Lusaka since the struggle for Zambia’s independence. The decision by KK’s children to burry their beloved Mother in Lusaka has historical and political connotations that all persons who love KK and his Family will appreciate. May Her Soul Rest In Peace.
Lusaka is even convinient, people should not be made to travel longer distance.
Lusaka is not the centre of the world. Longer distance from where?
NSIKWETE IFYAKULANDA, :((
NDELOLESYA FYE…..
Mpangula Mputyu, YOU ARE RIGHT, BUT REMEMBER EMBASSY PARK RESTS THAT THIEF FTJ, MHSRIEP! KK WOULD WANT HIS WIFE TO REST THERE BUT HE IS TO REST NEXT TO A THIEF!
POLITICIANS REMEMBER THIS, WHEN WE ARE IN POWER, LETS PLAN 50 YEARS AHEAD INCLUDING CALCULUS AND PERMUTATIONS FOR POSSIBLE THIEVES.
IT IS NOW A BIG HEAD ACRE THAT IS SENDING OUR OLD MAN TO HOSPITAL!!!!!
We keep praying for you the Kaunda family, handling a loss can be difficulty especially when its a parent and a loved one. We keep praying for you for God’s comforting hand to be upon you. May the Soul of our mother rest in eternal peace. Amen
The family decision should be respected.
Trust me, it can be a headache.
This unfortunate occasion also shows that we should plan ahead.
#24 Chacho has made a very valid important statement about development away from Lusaka and the line of rail. We have not done very well in that aspect despite the wealth Zambia has, especially in those early days when copper was copper.
Please keep our Zambian culture and traditions when it comes to funerals and burials.
Kaweche take heart. We are with you in spirit, from former same primary school friend.
May the soul of Mama Zambia rest in peace.
Let mama go to rest please otherwise we are going to bury KK with her
It is indeed a sad moment for our 1st president and family, so lets as a nation give all the moral support to them. Let the family ensure that the move the old man on a wheel chair during the burial programme for him not to be very tired.Finally i wanna say that its a wise decision to bury mama betty in lusaka to give her a befitting send off and no one should stop kk from attending the burial that will kill the man.