Burial standoff could have been avoided with religious affairs ministry, says Mundubile

Burial standoff could have been avoided with religious affairs ministry, says Mundubile

TONSE Alliance president Brian Mundubile says the standoff surrounding the burial of former president Edgar Lungu could have been avoided had Zambia maintained the Ministry of Religious Affairs and National Guidance.

Speaking in an interview on Millennium TV on Sunday, Mr Mundubile said his alliance would reinstate the ministry as part of a broader agenda to restore what he described as Zambia’s Christian values.

Zambia was declared a Christian nation in 1996, a position that is embedded in the preamble of the Constitution. Mr Mundubile argued that beyond the declaration, institutions such as the Ministry of Religious Affairs and National Guidance were created to uphold those values, alongside initiatives like the National Day of Prayer and the construction of the House of Prayer during Mr Lungu’s presidency.

He said the country had since drifted from those principles.

“What is happening today does not reflect the characteristics of a Christian nation,” he said, attributing the shift to what he termed a lack of respect for constitutional order and democratic principles.

Mr Mundubile said reinstating the ministry would provide a structured mechanism to promote and implement national values, as outlined in Articles 8 and 9 of the Constitution. He argued that its absence had left a gap in reinforcing Zambia’s moral and civic framework.

He added that the ministry previously played a central role in promoting national identity, including the teaching of the national motto, anthem and broader civic values across institutions.

According to Mr Mundubile, recent developments surrounding Mr Lungu’s remains including reports that the body was removed from a mortuary in South Africa and that a post-mortem was conducted without family consent highlight the consequences of what he described as a breakdown in national values.

He said such incidents would be less likely in a system where Christian principles and national values were actively upheld through dedicated institutions.

Mr Mundubile maintained that a Tonse Alliance government would prioritise restoring constitutionalism, strengthening democratic governance and reintroducing the religious affairs ministry as a channel for embedding national values.

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