By Daily Revelation Editor
The late Edith Nawakwi’s close family member has disclosed to Daily Revelation Newspaper that the government’s attempt to evacuate her to India at the last minute was turned down by medical experts there who advised that her condition had become terminal after her three-month periodical treatment was disrupted following her arrest on the Pheluna case.
And Nawakwi’s vice-president in the FDD Chifumu Banda said the government’s assistance towards the illness of Nawakwi came too late after the party had contacted the Secretary to Cabinet.
But chief government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa says Nawakwi’s funeral should not be politicised, urging those wanting to make political capital out of her death to give her family enough time to take in the blow of losing her and begin the process of healing in earnest.
Hearing the narration on the sequence of events that happened in the treatment Nawakwi was receiving, to the point where she was told in India to travel back to Zambia to prepare for her death as the window to help her had closed, on account of the disruption in the treatment regime she was undergoing, is indeed heart wrenching.
And it’s beyond saddening also to learn that the state was making an application to have the Pheluna matter handled at her residence at the same time when she was agonisingly taking her last breaths on earth in the Coptic Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Surely, those in government and the state could have done with just a few verifications here and there, to understand the true health status of the late Nawakwi. But as the family member indicated, it seemed they did not bother, hence they started making last minute efforts to evacuate her to the same India which had already closed shop on the matter, telling those in the government that there was very little they could do about the situation.
As we all know the rest is history, because even as another ‘save face’ effort was secured by evacuating her to South Africa, Nawakwi inevitably passed away a few days later.
Could we still have Nawakwi today if her periodical treatment had not been disturbed? Most likely her chances of being here today would be higher, probably for even a longer period.
We are not against arresting opposition leaders or any Zambian for that matter who commits an offence. But questions should certainly be raised when the arrest of opposition leaders becomes too frequent in any given nation such as Zambia. In Zambia, the arrests always seem calculated, not necessary to hold the opposition leaders accountable, but to punish them for saying or doing things which rub the egos of those in power the wrong way. It’s mostly about exacting maximum damage on the opposition in order to increase the chances of survival by those in power.
Former Health minister Angela Cifire has decried Zambian politics which she feels have contributed towards the death of Nawakwi. Anyone who analyses matters critically will find it very difficult to argue against her.
Mweetwa is saying now is not the time to debate the death of Nawakwi? If today is not the right time, when will it be the right time to engage in that debate? Without excusing opposition transgressions, those in government need to seriously reflect on how they are handling opposition leaders in the country.
If indeed Nawakwi had been arrested on firm grounds, does it mean that she also forfeited the enjoyment of her health status on account of the same? Was it necessary to follow her into the hospitals where she was receiving treatment to harass her, or even make it hard for her to travel out of the country to attend to her scheduled medical treatment abroad? Was it necessary to accuse her of feigning illness, or worse off mock her for a fake pregnancy miscarriage, when she was actually being attended to over some very serious health issues she was facing?
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By Daily Revelation Editor
The late Edith Nawakwi’s close family member has disclosed to Daily Revelation Newspaper that the government’s attempt to evacuate her to India at the last minute was turned down by medical experts there who advised that her condition had become terminal after her three-month periodical treatment was disrupted following her arrest on the Pheluna case.
And Nawakwi’s vice-president in the FDD Chifumu Banda said the government’s assistance towards the illness of Nawakwi came too late after the party had contacted the Secretary to Cabinet.
But chief government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa says Nawakwi’s funeral should not be politicised, urging those wanting to make political capital out of her death to give her family enough time to take in the blow of losing her and begin the process of healing in earnest.
Hearing the narration on the sequence of events that happened in the treatment Nawakwi was receiving, to the point where she was told in India to travel back to Zambia to prepare for her death as the window to help her had closed, on account of the disruption in the treatment regime she was undergoing, is indeed heart wrenching.
And it’s beyond saddening also to learn that the state was making an application to have the Pheluna matter handled at her residence at the same time when she was agonisingly taking her last breaths on earth in the Coptic Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Surely, those in government and the state could have done with just a few verifications here and there, to understand the true health status of the late Nawakwi. But as the family member indicated, it seemed they did not bother, hence they started making last minute efforts to evacuate her to the same India which had already closed shop on the matter, telling those in the government that there was very little they could do about the situation.
As we all know the rest is history, because even as another ‘save face’ effort was secured by evacuating her to South Africa, Nawakwi inevitably passed away a few days later.
Could we still have Nawakwi today if her periodical treatment had not been disturbed? Most likely her chances of being here today would be higher, probably for even a longer period.
We are not against arresting opposition leaders or any Zambian for that matter who commits an offence. But questions should certainly be raised when the arrest of opposition leaders becomes too frequent in any given nation such as Zambia. In Zambia, the arrests always seem calculated, not necessary to hold the opposition leaders accountable, but to punish them for saying or doing things which rub the egos of those in power the wrong way. It’s mostly about exacting maximum damage on the opposition in order to increase the chances of survival by those in power.
Former Health minister Angela Cifire has decried Zambian politics which she feels have contributed towards the death of Nawakwi. Anyone who analyses matters critically will find it very difficult to argue against her.
Mweetwa is saying now is not the time to debate the death of Nawakwi? If today is not the right time, when will it be the right time to engage in that debate? Without excusing opposition transgressions, those in government need to seriously reflect on how they are handling opposition leaders in the country.
If indeed Nawakwi had been arrested on firm grounds, does it mean that she also forfeited the enjoyment of her health status on account of the same? Was it necessary to follow her into the hospitals where she was receiving treatment to harass her, or even make it hard for her to travel out of the country to attend to her scheduled medical treatment abroad? Was it necessary to accuse her of feigning illness, or worse off mock her for a fake pregnancy miscarriage, when she was actually being attended to over some very serious health issues she was facing?
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