Laura Miti’s Immoral Attack on the late FDD President,Edith Nawakwi- Amb.Emmanuel Mwamba

Amb.Emmanuel Mwamba Wrote;

I was truly shocked to read an article by civil society activist, Laura Miti, accusing the Opposition of taking advantage of FDD President, Edith Nawakwi’s funeral.

Sadly, Laura took her unjustified personal attacks to the late Nawakwi, accusing her of being caustic and making confused political decisions.

It’s taboo to attack the dead. Respect demands that if you have nothing good to say about the dead, say nothing at all, as they are no longer present to defend themselves.

Similarly, the principle of not attacking the dead, or the duty to respect the dead, is a core principle of International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

It essentially means that once someone is deceased, especially recent circumstances, they are no longer a legitimate target of attack, and their remains must be treated with respect and given suitable burial.

This principle is enshrined in treaties like the Geneva Conventions and is also considered a part of customary international law.

Let us examine her criticism.

Did the Opposition take advantage of the funeral as alleged by Laura? Wasn’t the Opposition fighting for the rights of Nawakwi including the decision to hold a Requiem Mass at the Catholic Church, a church of her choice and faith?

Isn’t it President Hichilema who took advantage of the funeral  commandeered the procession away from the Catholic Church, and justified that the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross is a place for public affairs and he even took the uncharacteristic bold move to speak at her funeral, despite their deeply constrained relationship?

It is public knowledge that Nawakwi was tormented, harrassed, detained several times and prosecuted for her brave public comments and strong views and opinions she held about Hichilema’s leadership and character since 2006.
In all her discourse, Nawakwi merely wanted President Hakainde Hichilema to account for his accumulated wealth, his unjust enriching role in the privatization process of the 1990s, his failure to disclose, as President of the Republic of Zambia, his assets, liabilities and business interests and his current interest in the sale of mines and the awarding of large-scale public tender.

Was Nawakwi being caustic by demanding answers to these issues?

Nawakwi also personally took up the sad case of Pheluna and Milton Hatembo of Namwala, whose father’s farm, bought from Lima Bank,was taken over by President Hakainde Hichilema in extremely unclear, suspected fraudulent and suspicious circumstances.

Nawakwi pushed that case so hard that if prosecuted, the it threatened Hichilema’s chances to stand in the 2021 elections.

To avoid this, President Hichilema (as now confirmed by former Zitukile Consortium Executive Director, who was later appointed as Permanent Secretary at Local Government, Nicholas Phiri and political activist Rachael Chileshe -Katolo), whisked away and hid the Hatembos through a complex maze to escape state network.

The Hatembos only re-appeared after Hichilema won the 2021 elections.

Instead, Hichilema’s new government arrested and charged Nawakwi with the abduction and threatening of the Hatembos.

Therefore, if there is anyone who makes confused decision  and speaks caustic views, it’s Laura Miti. Because she doesn’t appear to know when to support Hichilema or abandon him.

If she pursued issues and supported public interests discourse, without the lenses of supporting Hichilema, like Nawakwi did, her path and views will be very clear, consistent and credible.

Below is what Laura Miti wrote;

-“Edith Nawakwi made confusing choices”

-“ her politics were caustic”

-“she was accused of committing crimes and could only be dealt with by the courts of law”

Fascinating isn’t it, how the opposition utilised Ms Edith Nawakwi’s funeral for their own gripe with government?

The whole she was not evacuated, was harassed narrative is so self serving. Not about Edith at all.

Let’s take the harassed – how should politicians who are accused of crimes be treated, if not via court cases?

Edith was an amazingly gifted human being who impacted Zambia positively. But she could also make confusing choices. The truth is the end of her political career was really caustic.

Both sides of the story are Edith’s. Makes little sense to try and negate one side and make it look that what would have happened to an ordinary citizen, if they were accused of  what she was accused of, is wrong that it happened to her.

It is disrespectful to Ms Nawakwi and her family to make her funeral a circus of political conteststion. I felt sorry for her children. Their space to mourn captured.

As for evacuation – I will say it again. Can politicians please agitate for the improvement of one hospital in Zambia to world standards, which only they will use.

They just need to stop embarrassing themselves, and insulting citizens, by suggesting that a politician being ill in a Zambian hospital is shocking.

That dying in Zambia is wrong. Beneath them. It is only for ordinary taxpayers.