Body of the late former Cabinet Minister, Edith Nawakwi, who died on Monday April 7, 2025 in South Africa will arrive in Zambia Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 12:40 Hours at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka, aboard South African Airlines Flight.
And President Hakainde Hichilema has accorded an official Funeral to the late Ms Nawakwi.
Ms Nawakwi, former Cabinet Minister in the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) led government, died at Garden City Hospital in Johannesburg at the age of 66, where she was evacuated by the government for specialist treatment.
She has been accorded an official funeral in recognition of her selfless contributions made towards national development when she served as Cabinet Minister from 1993 to 2001.
The late Ms Nawakwi, who served as the first ever Zambia’s female Minister of Finance and Economic Development among other ministerial designations, will be put to rest on Friday, April 11, 2025 at Leopards Hill Memorial Park in Lusaka.
President Hichilema has therefore declared Friday, a day of national mourning in her honour.
The public has been therefore urged to observe national mourning from 06:00 Hours to 18:00 Hours, and all activities of entertainment nature on both radio and television should be suspended, while flags will fly at half-mast.
Reporters take note: Just some simple maths here: If she was born on June 24, 1959, as officially stated, she was 65. She would have been 66 on June 24th this year but the entire Zambian media is reporting the wrong age.
Lazy journalist always LoL.
Nice gesture to evacuate Nawakwi to SA ,but Zambia in her 6th decade should be having high quality healthcare for all with no need for using foreign expertise and facilities.
And earlier reports right here said she had gone to India. Which is which?
@ Enka
Its not a nice gesture to evacuate just a few using tax payers money and yet the majority are dying of simple illnesses….tax payers money is for ALL ZAMBIANS to enjoy not just Politicians….THIS SYSTEM OF EVACUATING POLITICIANS SHOULD COME TO AN END
Edith was able to pay her medicals in India. She’s been going there like the rest of us who pay for themselves. The catch is when this same government stopped her at the airport because of some funny charges she was facing… now what’s more seditious: Nawakwi campaigning against an individual and People from Western province advocating for the breakup of our republic ? The evacuation is just a face saver
It looks like 90% of Ministers and other Government officials are battling some serious illnesses…..don’t you think we need healthy Ministers and Government officials to do their jobs properly….but because of corruption and tribalism we end up with sick Ministers and Sick Government officials…and most of our tax payers money ends up in South African Clinics Indian Hospitals
Like someone said Zambian hospitals should open units specialising for the over 50s and their specific ailments.
Just like we do with under fives. Our life expectancy is miserable.
Zambians must die in Zambia. It’s very embarrassing to leave your house to go and dedicate in someone’s house just because you don’t have water or your toilet is not working when you had all the time and resources to fix that. We should all be ashamed of the fact that our leaders are dying in foreign countries. This is not a mindset of a people who want development. This is the same mentality shown by young people of asking for money for water when they are standing next to a water tap.
It was a good gesture from New dawn to be evacuated when many Zambians are unable
To be taken out for similar serious health
Condition.
Evacuating her when she was already nearing her end, and just dragging her to courts before that. And somebody even says let us not politicise this funeral, but Nawakwi was a politician so how can we detach that aspect because she has died.
@Chester
And when they’re in government they’re busy signing MOUs and lying to Zambians that they’re fixing our Healthcare but when they become sick they rush to foreign countries
Dear praise singers who were busy dishing out insults to Nawakwi, please take note that HH did not declare a day of national mourning because he is a caring leader. It is by law that anyone who has served as cabinet minister gets a day of national mourning.
We leave it there. May her soul rest in peace.
Personally if I was her elder brother, I would have turned down this thing called official mourning…. it’s like a celebration to see that a woman with so much data about what is going on with our country has died… one thorn in the side down and how many more to go?
Social media, its up to you to believe what you want. AT first, we were told she died at Coptic Hospital in Lusaka. Now it is emerging that actually GRZ evacuated here to RSA. Malice and slander. RIP Edith
It’s not everything we see on social media we have to believe. Some they just write up for views. The same people who said he died in lusaka coptic today they say anafela ku saube. Kudos to HH for your to job
Kudos to HH for what? She is a former cabinet minister and constitutionally entitled to a state funeral. It is not a favourable gesture from the President.
Five years ago on Social media I read that Obama had died. He is still alive. I read that Kagame had declared war on South Africa, I read….yaba! You just have to be careful what you consume on social media.
All rubbish is churned out without responsibilities associated with traditional media who have editors and sub editors and proofreaders
Feeling sorry for this lady, when PF was in power, PF cadres said they would gang rape her and they were never arrested. When UPND came in, they kept abusing her and toturing her through the courts. RIP Edith Nawakwi
Go well Edith, you fought your race and a good fight. Though you have left us with a nation at cross roads, imagine a government PS calls a press conference to disclose the health status of a former President without any permission from the patient himself. If this is not sinking too low, what is it please
And what does a civil servant have to do with relationships between politicians? The PS is telling us about HH’s reportedly good relationships with Lungu.
I can understand it if it was a Party statement but Kawana is not paid from our treasury to be a UPND spokesperson. If so, that is theft of public revenue. The same as allowing a first Lady to amass wealth for building personal flats.
My only thought is Who can be our alternative for 2026
Sishuwa Sishuwa
Sickness of most politicians is not just a mare Sickness, even their deaths are not mare deaths.
People you can’t fool God, most of these politicians use the Bible making vows during inauguration that they will serve people with diligence,but when they are in power they do opposite. These sickness are curses and they don’t realize that.
Why is it important that her wish of her funeral service be held at the church she congregated be respected?
NO OTHER NEWS THIS WEEK ???
How boring can boring be ??
It has nothing to do with HH’s good will. Edith is a former cabinet minister entitled to s state funeral.