Micheal Sata’s family says the Patriotic Front may lose and not finish its first term of office if Christine Kaseba does not stand to save it from collapsing.
And Sata’s first cousin, Emma Chibesakunda, says Dr Kaseba has not stopped mourning her husband and people should not abuse her through malicious accusations. Addressing the press at State House yesterday, Chibesakunda explained that Dr Kaseba was persuaded to contest the PF presidency by the late president’s family. “She did not want to stand, it is the family that forced her; looking at the situation, she saw what was happening and it broke her heart.
That is why she accepted to stand,” Chibesakunda said. She said Dr Kaseba was at pains to file her nomination papers for the PF presidency within eight days after Sata’s burial, but that her decision to do so had a time factor. “Eight days is what she had to make the decision. That was the time allowed to make a move. But it has to be clear that she has been forced by circumstances to stand; because as we are seeing things now, we wouldn’t be surprised if PF does not finish its term,” Chibesakunda said. She said other family members vying for the PF presidency had the democratic right to do so. “Each person has their own democratic right to stand, and if they have to withdraw, it has to be on individual basis.
Mulenga can make a personal decision to say since mum is standing, let me step aside, ba Bob [Sichinga] nabo, the same. But it’s not for her to stop them from standing.” Chibesakunda said Dr Kaseba was merely offering herself as an option for the Zambian people and that citizens should decide whether to consider her or not. “Let the Zambian people judge her for the decision.
If she fails to be elected, that is up to the Zambian people. She wants to hold the family together, she wants to hold the nation together. She has been crying terribly, even just a few minutes ago she was crying and she will not stop, she will mourn her husband forever. You people need to stop abusing her. No one has the right to abuse her. She suffered a lot with her husband to build that party and she has been forced to stand up and say I can’t see the things that we built with my husband be torn to pieces,” she said.
And Chibesakunda lamented the publication of a picture in the Daily Nation newspaper depicting bundles of president Sata’s clothes taken during the isambo lyamfwa ceremony. “All what she did was to say, if there is anything I can do by offering myself even if I am mourning, to ensure that the party is put together. She wants to save the party, she wants to serve the country and the people whom her husband loved so much.
So please I beg you, and I feel so sorry for the member of the family who took this picture and leaked it to the media, because in our tradition, it’s a taboo. We are not supposed to do this, It’s not the first lady who is being exposed, it is us the owners and family of the late president who are being exposed,” she said.
Chibesakunda said Dr Kaseba did not break any traditional customs. “When one member of the family dies, the family members after they have buried come together to know how their member of the family died.
This is what we call isambo lyamfwa and the wife is asked to explain how the death came about. One of the things produced during the ceremony is the clothes of the deceased. If the person who died is an elderly person, there is another step that we take known as ukupyanika. There is no specific period to do this.
In those days we used to delay isambo lyamfwa but nowadays, we do it immediately after we bury because of so many deaths occurring in our families.” “In the case yaba first lady, she has been telling you nothing but the truth. She obeyed the tradition to a coma.
I requested the first lady to give me things [clothes] and she did exactly as I requested. We don’t take ifintu muma suitcases pesambo lyamfwa,” said Chibesakunda while fighting back tears.
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Mulenga Should STEP Aside For Kaseba -SATA Family
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