Saturday marked the passing of Zambia's second president, Frederick J.T. Chiluba (born 1943). We have been strongly advised by Peace Corps to speak no ill of the dead; to quote our Safety & Security Coordinator's (SSC's) last SMS:
ALERT-ALL PCVs
following ex-president Chiluba's death, avoid gathering &political discussion. Respect people's right to mourn. Burial: June27. Thnx.
I doubt there will be much mourning here in Western, as Chiluba is closely linked with the ruling party, and the ruling party has been out of favor since the events on January 14th up in Mongu. However, in other parts of the country, I could see the validity of our SSC's statement. Some Volunteers who have read up on their Zambian history tend to point out things in a way that we Americans don't see as problematic or even are encouraged to do so; however, this is not the U.S. and depending on who you are talking to, pointing out relative faults of someone is akin to pointing out the faults of everyone with whom they are associated (i.e. a party).
What will be really interesting is the funeral procession itself ... political figures warrant a huge number of people, most of whom attend less because of respect and more due to the fear of a conspicuous absence. Somewhat like a funeral in the village, I wot.
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