WHEN A SITTING PRESIDENT DIES…

WHEN a president dies in office, it raises a lot of questions and speculations among the citizenry. Zambia is no exception and for good reason. We have lost two sitting presidents and an ex-president, all in a space of six years. By any standards, those are worrying statistics. Speculations about the causes of death have been rife and few have been brave enough to speak out in the manner that former vice-president Enock Kavindele has done. We totally agree with his demand that the government owes the Zambian people an explanation and some sort of closure. It is almost like the mourning will never end for as long as the public does not know what killed the three men. The families may know but the public doesn’t. These men were not private individuals but public officers. These were people who had presided over the affairs of this nation at critical times in our history. President Chiluba took over from Dr Kenneth Kaunda with the advent of the multiparty democracy. He was a champion for many and no doubt, many wonder about his passing. Dr Chiluba’s successor, Levy Mwanawasa could not complete his second term in office and this death no doubt also raises questions in people’s minds. Let’s not forget that he was also involved in a very serious accident earlier as vice president, which left him with speech impediment among other physical scars. Then came the death of the most outspoken politician Zambia has had – Mr Sata. His failing health was a shock too many because there was no public explanation. The regular statements from State House then was that the President was enjoying good health. If he was enjoying good health, why then did he suddenly pass on in London. On August 19, 2008, Zambia lost its first sitting president when Levy Mwanawasa died in a military hospital in France. After a month of mourning as declared by acting president, Rupiah Banda, Mwanawasa was put to rest and the nation also rested and forgot. Then on October 28, 2014, Michael Chilufya Sata, Zambia’s fifth president, died in a London hospital surrounded by family and friends or government workers. He was put to rest in a beautiful mausoleum at Embassy Park and again the matter rested. Before Mr Sata’s passing, the country had lost the second republican president, Dr Frederick Chiluba on 18th June, 2011 at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Lusaka. To answer this and many questions that many people dare not voice out, government owes it to the public to let the truth be known. We know that even presidents get sick, like President Edgar Lungu has said before, but as a public figure, the people need to know what those illnesses were that claimed the lives of these three men. As Mr Kavindele has said, government should immediately come up with a commission of inquiry under the “Public Inquiries Act” to investigate the circumstances that led to Mr Sata’s death. Mr Kavindele said Mr Sata was not an ordinary person but an elected and sitting Head of State of Zambia. Mr Kavindele said when President Sata fell ill many stories had been told and was flown to so many cities all over the world to seek medical attention. “Now even the travels were too much for a person who was not feeling too well. So when his death occurred government should have set up this inquiry. “Government in my (personal) view has a very strong case to set up a commission of inquiry. It is not too late. For posterity sake, a commission of inquiry can still be set up,” Mr Kavindele said. It is indeed never too late to do the right thing. Kill the speculation by giving out information. Just as the current administration has been open about the President’s health and checkups when needed. This is the openness that the public deserves.