I have been reluctant to comment on the alleged collapsing and subsequent hospitalization of his Excellency, Edgar Lungu following the anxiety that has engulfed the entire episode since Sunday during the women’s day celebrations at Heroes Stadium.
Initially, the prompt response on the Health Status of President Lungu by State House has been timely unlike in the past where it has been shrouded in secrecy to say the least. Secrecy creates a lot of tension, distrust, divisions- constitutionally and politically, a situation the president seemingly does not wish to subject Zambians to.
The presidency is a public and national institution thus the need for the country to get prompt briefs to whatever happens to the office even just a mosquito bite. Therefore, honest updates help the country quench prospective gossip and speculation.
We must admit that politics is a stressful profession and president Lungu has had one strenuous schedule since his ascendency to the office of President having travelled to Mfuwe for a working Holiday and Chipata for the recently held Nc’wala among many engagements home and abroad.
President Lungu is a pace setter, who doesn’t get sick? Because even cars do break down without giving you any indication that it will do so in a few minutes. Sickness is not something we wish for ourselves, not even for our worst enemies. As long as we remain mortal, sickness and diseases will remain part and parcel of our lives and the President is human to get sick.
Nevertheless, President Lungu should be commended for his magnanimity to openly admit he was not feeling well. Additionally, his love for the country is admirably inspiring having put his country before self even in difficult times. He is truly a rare breed in African politics. If you tell people your ailments, you get medicine for it and that there is intensified prayer for the healing of a Head of State.
The country has not been subjected to helicopters picking the head of state from the heroes’ stadium and rushing him to an unknown destination like it has been done before. The nation might not see the benefits and results of his actions of being transparent over his health condition but they will surely manifest soon or later.
Admittedly, the health of a president surely has a bearing on so many things such, as the performance of a currency, which has been limping for some time now.
Secondly, his aides deserve praise for not holding him hostage and subsequently not subjecting him to physical torture by hiding him from the public like some rogue handlers have done in the past demeaning the sickness of the head of state. I saw him myself at Maina Soko military in his ever jovial mood unlike in the past where we were told the president is jogging in the streets of London or that he is attending a routine medical checkup.
Watch out for Nchito Yasila!!!
