RB to be put to rest this Friday

Government has announced that late fourth republican President Rupiah Banda will be put to rest on Friday 18th March 2022 at the Presidential burial site, Embassy Park in Lusaka. 

Acting Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa says this follows consultations with the late former Head of State’s family. 

ZANIS reports that Mr Kangwa in a statement said the church service will be held at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross at 10hrs on the day of burial. 

The service will be by invitation under the set COVID-19 guidelines. 

 Mr. Kangwa said President Hakainde Hichilema has accorded a state funeral and declared seven days of National mourning in honor of Mr. Banda.

Prior to the burial, government will host a State funeral on Thursday 17th March 2022 at 10hrs at the Lusaka showground’s.

This as well will be attended by foreign Heads of State, government and other invited guests. 

Mr. Kangwa has also announced that the funeral gathering for Mr. Banda has been moved from his Lilayi residence to Belvedere Lodge in Kabulonga.

Born in 1937 in Gwanda in Zimbabwe, the late Mr. Banda served in various public service positions locally and abroad and as a Member of Parliament for Munali Constituency in Lusaka and as a Cabinet Minister in the late first President of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda’s government.

President Banda was an economist and worked in the civil service and in diplomatic missions as Zambia’s Ambassador to Egypt from January 1965 to March 1967, United States of America and as Zambia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN).

Following the 1991 elections that transformed Zambia’s political landscape from one party state to multiparty politics, Mr. Banda decided to lead a quiet life and settled at his farm in Chipata in Eastern Province.

However, in 2006, Zambia’s third President, the late Levy Mwanawasa, recalled Mr Banda from retirement and appointed him as his Vice President on 9^th October the same year in the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) government.

In November 2008, Mr. Banda became Zambia’s fourth President after winning a presidential by-election that was held following the death of Mr. Mwanawasa in August the same year.

The late Mr. Banda ruled Zambia from November 2008 under the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) party until 2011 when he lost a general election to Mr. Michael Sata, the leader of the Patriotic Front (PF).

During his presidency, the late Mr. Banda, who was fondly referred to as RB, ruled by the slogan ‘a President for all Zambians’.

He was diagnosed with colon cancer in the year 2020 and has been battling with the disease until his untimely death.