By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
I was Permanent Secretary in Northern Province and we were in the process of making Muchinga out of the province.
President Michael Chilufya Sata called me to State House.
I found other Permanent Secretaries that included PS, Charles Sipanje, and Works & Supply PS, Maj. Francis Kamanga who had been called too.
We were informed that Zambia's First Lady Mama Betty Kaunda died in Harare in the early hours of 19th September 2012.
For us as Provincial Permanent Secretaries, we were in Lusaka to attend to the official opening of Parliament.
The instructions were very clear.
As it was the wish of President Kaunda, "go and prepare the burial site for Mama Betty in Chinsali at Shambalakale or Lubwa Mission".
"You will be joined by Hon. Panji Kaunda, the eldest son of the family for guidance and on-spot decision."
A Zambia Airforce (ZAF) Plane was provided to us and by the evening, the delegation of government officials, army personnel, engineers and other key personnel had arrived in Chinsali.
In the morning we began the preparations with yellow machines and equipment that had been moved from Kasama and Lusaka , grading the gravel roads and identifying the burial site.
We also spruced up the Shambalakale farm grounds in preparation for the big funeral and burial programmes to ensue in the next few days.
Shambakake is a beautiful site to behold.
It's nestled in a lush mountain-side.
The farm was purposely built as the retirement home of the founding President.
Later, we learnt of a family dispute in the media about the debate of attempting to change the burial site.
Although Dr. Kaunda and the eldest son, Col. Panji Kaunda had stated that the burial place would be in Chinsali, other family members led by Kaweche were reported to be leading the objection.
On the third day of extensive preparations, we were told to abandon the process because the family had apparently settled to bury Mama Betty Kaunda at the government retirement home of Dr. Kaunda in State Lodge area in Lusaka.
We began the process of pulling out of Chinsali.
The empty grave in Chinsali was later turned into a hill as his apparently traditional in such circumstances.
