The body of the late former Republican Vice President Lupando Mwape has arrived in Zambia from South Africa.
The remains of Mr. Mwape arrived aboard a South African Airways plane at the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) Lusaka Base at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport at 15:03 hours yesterday.
Former Vice Presidents Enoch Kavindele and Nevers Mumba, Defence Minister Davies Chama and Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusaka led mourners at the airport to receive the body of the late Mr. Mwape.
Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa Emmanuel Mwamba and the late Mr. Mwape’s family members accompanied the body from that country.
Mourners from both the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) and opposition political parties and people from walks of life braved the rains to receive the body of Mr. Mwape who served as Vice President from 2004 to 2006 during late President Levy Mwanawasa’s administration.
The body was moved from the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport to the ZAF Lusaka Base Airport on a gun carrier for a ceremonial reception by the Zambia Air Force.
The ceremony was however interrupted by the rains.
Party cadres from the ruling and opposition political parties and the church sung solemn music as the body arrived and departed the airport to the funeral house.
The late former Vice President died on Monday, 21st January 2019 at Arwyp Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa.
President Edgar Lungu has since accorded the late former Vice President a state funeral and declared three days of national mourning from Saturday 26th January to Monday, 26th 28th January 20019 2019, the day he will be put to rest.
The three-day national mourning will be observed from 06:00 hours to 18:00 hours during which all flags will fly at half-mast while programmes of entertainment nature on both radio and television will be cancelled or postponed.
On the burial date, the funeral programme of the late Mr. Mwape will start with a Requiem church service at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus in Long Acres at 09:00 hours and later proceed for burial at the Leopard Memorial Park in Lusaka.
The funeral of Mr. Mwape is being held at plot number 2751/M/C off Leopards Hill Road after the American International School in New Kasama in Lusaka.
President Edgar Lungu has since accorded the late former Vice President a state funeral and declared three days of national mourning from Saturday 26th January to Monday, 26th January 20019, the day he will be put to rest.Ba LT please try to collect words and dates before you publish your news.monday will be 26 again
@Bonzo man; I can tell you are Bemba!
@Bonzo man
Also try to CORRECT your spelling before rushing to submit your comment!
@The real Olivia pope
Your tribal comment is shallow.
@Lisa; my comment is not tribal. Bonzo man is telling Lusaka times to “COLLECT” their spellings. Bembas are notorious for not having “R” in their vocabulary especially men. So Bonzo man wrote it the way he pronounces it.
It’s 2019 not 20019
Correct not collect
20019 full of sh!t
@BONZO MAN
It’s not 20019 sir but 2019. That’s what happens when you are the sh!t yourself.
Eish ,ba LT must you haunt even the dead with false info? Anyway fare thee well Lupando Mwape ,don’t know why Zambian VP’s have higher mortality rates though.
He was useless
He joined upendi and did his best but as usual
I cant believe a former vice president didnt even have a house. A kind niece had to volunteer to host the funeral. He was just squatting in Luanshya at a woman’s house.
He was a good man, never plundered anything.
Ba Tutu naimwe, do you mean all the people who have built houses are plunderers?
Good to see former Vice-Presidents receiving the body of another former Vice-President.
This makes me wonder if our former Vice-Presidents do get together sometimes, what about former Presidents?
Ati Pali umudanso and loved younger girls. It’s a sad way of dying no house to even hold funeral.our politicians forget where the come from once in power. Karma.