BISHOP BANDA CALLS FOR NATIONAL HEALING, DIALOGUE, AND DIGNITY IN HANDLING OF LATE PRESIDENT’S FUNERAL

By Brian Matambo – Sandton, South Africa

Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God (Zambia), Dr Joshua H.K. Banda, has urged the nation to embrace dialogue, unity, and forgiveness as Zambia navigates the delicate process of laying former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu to rest. Speaking on ZNBC’s Kwacha Good Morning Zambia, Bishop Banda framed the moment as a critical test of the country’s maturity, calling on both the government and the late president’s family to work together for the sake of national healing.

“This is the time for us to seek healing,” Bishop Banda said. “The Bible says, ‘Confess your faults one to another.’ During this period, faults have been committed, and we must be frank enough to confess them as a country. We must accept where we have gone wrong, learn to forgive one another, and look with hope toward the future.”

The bishop stressed that the burial of a former head of state on home soil carries deep symbolic and diplomatic significance. “Whenever something as significant as this happens, especially on foreign soil, it touches on relations between countries. Diplomacy has to be at play,” he said, adding that burying the late president in Zambia allows both citizens and the international community to show solidarity.

Bishop Banda also addressed the divisive tone seen in public discourse, particularly on social media, cautioning against harmful content and disrespectful commentary. Referring to a viral video in which individuals appeared to mock the late president, he said, “It is totally unacceptable. Let us stop it and honour and respect each other. Social media must be used responsibly, especially in a Christian nation.”

He reiterated his call for unity, saying, “Whatever the case, let us pull together. This is the test of all being one Zambia, one nation. We should, we can, and we will make it. May God help us.”

Bishop Banda concluded with a message of prayer for both the Lungu family and the government, emphasising that healing will only come when forgiveness replaces bitterness, and dialogue replaces division.