🇿🇲 BRIEFING | Lungu’s Omission From Independence Supplement Sparks Backlash
Former Chienge Member of Parliament Given Katuta Mwelwa has criticised the Zambia Daily Mail over the omission of late sixth Republican President Edgar Chagwa Lungu from its 62nd Independence Anniversary supplement.
The state-owned newspaper’s commemorative page features President Hakainde Hichilema alongside former presidents Kenneth Kaunda, Frederick Chiluba, Levy Mwanawasa, Rupiah Banda and Michael Sata, but excludes Lungu, who governed Zambia from 2015 to 2021.
The omission has drawn criticism on social media, with questions raised about the newspaper’s treatment of Zambia’s presidential history.
Katuta argues that Independence Day should recognise all former Heads of State, regardless of their political affiliations or relationship with the government of the day.
“We cannot build a united Zambia by selectively remembering our history,” she said
She has called on Zambia Daily Mail management to explain the omission and take corrective action, maintaining that the presidency is a national institution whose history should not be subject to partisan considerations.
The reason for Lungu’s exclusion from the commemorative page remains unclear.
The People’s The People’s Brief | Ollus R. Ndomu
24 October 2026