By Daily Revelation Reporter
Former president Edgar Lungu has disclosed that the UPND government did nothing to help and facilitate for late FDD leader Edith Nawakwi’s urgent treatment abroad because of the usual politics of bitterness, malice and vengeance against opposition leaders.
And Lungu stated that the death of Nawakwi is a loud reminder that the current political leaders had abandoned the values of Christianity and had become heartless and cruel against rival politicians and state critics.
In a Facebook write-up, Lungu stated that he had learnt with a sad and heavy heart that Nawakwi died in the early hours of today aged 66.
He stated that to him and his wife Ether, they had lost a close family friend, a true sister and gallant political soldier.
“As we mourn our beloved sister, mother, patriotic leader and gallant woman, the death of President Edith Nawakwi is a loud reminder that our current political leaders have abandoned the values of Christianity and have become heartless and cruel against rival politicians and state critics,” Lungu stated. “We are all fully aware that, although she was admitted to Coptic Hospital in the last few days and preparations to evacuate her to India were underway, our government did nothing to help and facilitate for this urgent treatment abroad because of the usual politics of bitterness, malice and vengeance against opposition leaders.”
Lungu stated that when Nawakwi’s family resources failed her to seek the best treatment abroad, everyone expected the President and government to move in and facilitate her treatment abroad especially that the Cancer Hospital at UTH had been made practically dysfunctional by this government.
He stated that unlike late president Micheal Sata who was speedily evacuated to South Africa midnight by late president Levy Mwanawasa despite their political differences, Nawakwi was repeatedly treated with state brutality, heavy vengeance and punitive politics by the UPND government for the past four years.
Lungu stated that in April 2023, on two occasions, Zambia police officers stormed University Teaching Hospital (UTH) under political instructions where Nawakwi was admitted in a bid to arrest her while she was being treated.
“Shockingly, the police officers wanted to arrest and transport a sick national leader to Choma where they wanted her to answer to charges concerning the case involving the abduction of the Hatembo family,” Lungu stated. “This gesture was unjustifiably terrible, morally regrettable and an act of historical violence against a sick citizen.”
He stated that like many opposition leaders, his sick ‘sister’ Nawakwi was last year brutally arrested and detained at Chelston police for many days unnecessarily and was later charged with two counts of seditious practices.
Lungu stated that despite being fully aware that Nawakwi was visibly sick, hospitalised and traveling to India for specialised medical treatment for the past two years, state police officers physically treated her with aggressive malice, vengeance and punitive altitudes to the effect that she was forced to omit her routine medication.
“In the name of vengeful and malicious politics, President Nawakwi was repeatedly mistreated and traumatized by our police officers: an ugly departure from our social norms and traditions,” Lungu stated.
He also stated that on March 18, 2025, Zambians were shocked to learn that state prosecutor, Sitali Muyangwa had applied to move the court to the house of Nawakwi due to her continued absence in order to run trial on her sick bed.
Lungu stated that this act was certainly another inhumane political vengeance against her.
“It was historically un-Zambian as it loaded more mental, emotional and physical burden on our sick former minister of finance. Unfortunately, this is similar to what is happening to our former minister of defence, Hon. Geofrey, Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) and it seems very normal for the UPND government,” Lungu stated. “Therefore, as we mourn our beloved leader, friend, sister and gallant woman, it is regrettable to stress that Ms. Edith Nawakwi has died so traumatized, humiliated and abandoned by her own state and government like someone who never served this country at the level of cabinet minister in different portfolios.”
Lungu stated that under President FTJ Chiluba, Nawakwi was the first woman in Zambia and within SADC to hold the post of minister of Finance following her appointment in 1998.
He stated that the late had also held roles such as minister of state for Energy & Water Development, Minister of Energy & Water Development, Minister of Agriculture, Food & Fisheries, and Minister of Labour & Social Security between 1992 and 2001.
Lungu has called upon Zambians to mourn Nawakwi with true love, grace, patriotism and national unity as “One Zambia, One Nation”
