30 August 2008
THE body of late President Mwanawasa, which lay in repose in Kabwe on Thursday, was yesterday flown back to Lusaka.
A Zambia Air Force plane carrying the body touched down at City Airport at 09:50 hours.
The body has since Monday been flown to the country's provincial centres to allow Zambians to pay their last respects to Dr Mwanawasa who died in a French hospital on August 19.
Acting President Rupiah Banda, Chief Justice Ernest Sakala, Cabinet ministers and their deputies, relatives and friends of the late president were on hand to receive the body.
First Lady Maureen, Sports, Youth and Child Development Minister, Gabriel Namulambe, Gender in Development Minister, Patricia Mulasikwanda, and MMD national chairperson, Michael Mabenga were among those who accompanied the body to the provincial centres. On Monday, Dr Mwanawasa's body was flown from Lusaka to Chipata and later transported to Kasama.
It lay in repose in Kasama until Tuesday when it was flown to Mansa.
The same day, the body was flown to Ndola where it lay in repose at the presidential guest house on Kabelenga road.
On Wednesday, the body was flown to Solwezi before being taken to Mongu the same day for continued body viewing.
President Mwanawasa's body left Mongu for Livingstone and later Kabwe on Thursday before finally being flown to Lusaka yesterday.
Lusaka residents and others who did not pay their last respects would do so today and tomorrow.
The viewing of the body will start from 10:00 hours to 18:00 hours on both days.
Meanwhile, some traditional rulers in Southern Province have described Dr Mwanawasa as a hardworking, kind and considerate man.
The chiefs are hopeful that Dr Mwanawasa's death will not deter the programmes that he started.
Speaking in interviews yesterday, Chieftainess Mwenda and chiefs Hanjalika, Nalubamba and Mwanachingwala said Dr Mwanawasa was a selfless leader who greatly contributed to the economic development of Zambia.
They called on his successor to emulate what the late president stood for.
"Dr Mwanawasa stood for what was right and worked tirelessly for the development of the country," Chieftainess Mwenda said.
She said Dr Mwanawasa's funeral was not for the MMD alone but the whole nation.
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