Democratic Union (DU) President Ackim Antony Njobvu has urged Zambians to show compassion to the family of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, saying the nation’s Christian values should guide public reaction during times of grief.
“There’s a saying: you only laugh at a mad man when he is not your brother,” Njobvu said in a statement issued Thursday. “Today, as we look at what the ECL family is going through, those words ring true.”
He added: “Politics aside, this is a Zambian family in pain. And if we call ourselves a Christian Nation, then compassion must be our first response. It must be heavy for them. Let us not add to that weight.”
Zambia was declared a Christian Nation in the preamble of the Constitution. Public debate has intensified in recent months over political discourse and how families of former leaders are treated.
Former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu served as Zambia’s sixth President from 2015 to 2021. The Lungu family has faced public scrutiny and legal matters since he left office.
Njobvu’s Democratic Union is among opposition parties calling for what it terms “politics of dignity” ahead of the 2026 elections.
Francis Chipalo
