By Chinoyi Chipulu
Wailing, singing and a somber atmosphere characterised the gathering at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport as the remains of FDD leader Edith Nawakwi who died on Monday in South Africa arrived in Zambia.
Mourners, among them, family members, friends and members of different political parties gathered to receive the remains of Nawakwi, 66, the former Minister of Finance, who died at Garden City Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she was receiving specialist medical treatment.
Her remains arrived ahead of her burial today.
President Hakainde Hichilema has declared Friday as a day of national mourning in her honor, and has been accorded an official funeral as a former Cabinet minister.
Government announced that a requiem mass would be held at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka, preceding her burial.
Meanwhile, PF acting president Given Lubinda said the church service for Nawakwi should be held in a Catholic Church where she used to congregate.
Lubinda said Nawakwi belonged to the Catholic church hence the service must be held in her Church.
“The truth of the matter is she had a denomination and that denomination must be the one that burries her. She must not be buried as though she did not have a denomination,” he said.
Lubinda said Nawakwi made a conscious decision to be baptised in the Catholic Church hence she must be buried in accordance with her will.
“She must be taken into the sanctuary in which she was baptised. She entered into a life long covenant with her Lord and the reason why she did that was to prepare for this day. Why is it now that Edith should be taken away from her Church? With all respect for the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross, this is not where she went, she went to St Ignatius every Sunday,” he said.
Lubinda said the government should not abuse its powers to change one’s denomination when they were dead.
“I would like to appeal to the powers that be, we know you have the powers but that power must have a limit. Please, if you don’t want to respect us when we are alive, respect us when we are dead because at that time we can not speak for ourselves,” said Lubinda.
