Enough is enough, President Lungu’s Sister speaks out

OUR father was a chibombebombe (casual) in the Zambia Railways and like most people, he had moved from his village in Mukwama, Chief Kalindawalo in Petauke to Lusaka for job opportunities, President Edgar Lungu’s elder sister told the Daily Nation.

In an exclusive interview at her home in Lusaka’s Jack compound, Bertha Lungu, who is married to Godfrey Chama, told the Daily Nation that growing up in a poor family was not easy but they were very happy.

“The best he (the father) could manage was to get a job as a casual for a Railway company as part of the maintenance crew entrusted with lifting metal and aligning the sleepers. Baleimya ishimbi shanyanji.
It was a tough life because that was all my father did and definitely my mother had to find a way to help out.
But we were very happy, even though our parents later went separate ways.

Bertha Lungu or Mrs Chama, the elder sister to President Edgar Lungu talks about their early days on the Copperbelt and how they fought as most siblings do.

She reminisces about her disciplinarian mother who had no qualms about spanking them if they misbehaved, though her father would not do so but supported the action.

She says the parents worked hard in their simple life to raise money for their education and food.

Mrs Chama says at one time, life was so hard that she and her elder sister, Beauty (now late) decided to find a chijombo (boot) for Chagwa to wear to school.

This was because he was running through shoes too fast as he had to walk a long distance, walking to school on rough terrain and their father could not afford to buy him shoes every month.

“Aleenda munyanji (on the rail tracks) and because of the stones, his shoes were finishing fast. Twamona ati awe abafyashi teti bakwanishe (we realized that our father could not afford to replace his shoes), so we found him chijombo (boot).

Mrs Chama, who like the President, speaks fluent Bemba and Nsenga, says their story is more of faith and humbleness because nobody ever thought her brother would become President.

Their story does not begin on the Copperbelt like most people think nor in Lusaka but in the village where the eldest child, Beauty Lungu, (now deceased), was born.

Mrs Chama herself or Bertha (Belita as family members call her) was born in 1955 in Lusaka where Mr Ranger Badure Lungu, her father, first made attempts at finding a better life for his family by working as a casual for the railway company.

It was hard labour, but he was happy to do it because it gave him food for his growing family.

From Lusaka, the family with two children, Beauty and Bertha, moved to Ndola where the father continued with his casual work with the same company.

It was there that her young brother, Edgar Chagwa Lungu was born in 1957. She explains that she and her young brother were competitive and often fought because he did not want to accept that he was younger than her.

“Kaili I also wanted to show my authority so twalelwa. So bamayo used her wisdom to create peace and fairness- she took us to get our national registration cards and registered us as being born in the same year, 1956. My mother was not educated but very wise. Ma Jere was known for being fair and wanting justice and peace. So that was her way of maintaining peace in the family. And for sure, we never argued or fought after that.”

Actually we became allies and he often helped me to fight if I started a fight, which I often did…(laughs).
She explains that she started school at Chimwemwe now called Chimwemwe A in 1962 and not long after that, her brother started crying and wanting to go with her to school. Mr Chipongoma was the headmaster then and the school would only accommodate grade 1 – 3 and after this, most girls, like Belita, went to Mindolo Girls.

However, for Belita, Form 1 was as far as she went because marriage was more attractive and she quickly married Godfrey Chama and 1972 marked the end of her school days.

About her younger brother, Chagwa, she says, he was too young but kept crying for school but the headmaster refused and recommended that he should be taken to another school where they could accommodate him.

So around 1963/4 he started school at Mutende school and because it was far, “I used to carry him on my back and cross the stream. When knocking off, I would again go and get him. He was big for his age and fat.

“So he did his first schooling grade 1-2 at Mutende school but later moved to Chimwemwe C which was created to cater for children who were going to schools outside the township.” The head teacher then was Mr Vunda.

The family used to take him to school across Mindolo stream. There were only two schools in Chimwemwe, Ishuko and Chimwemwe.

She says her brother became playful and failed grade seven and therefore the brother in-law, who was married to Beauty, took him to Ishuko in Grade six where he was classmates with late Chris Chali, formerly of the Amayenge.

He later passed and went to Mukuba in 1972 and 1976 finished and went to Zambia National Service (ZNS).

After this stint, he went for his law degree at the University of Zambia, where he was classmates and friends with among others, Wynter Kabimba and Ambassador Lazarous Kapambwe.

She explained that the family had been patient and tolerant hoping that those making falsehoods about the President and his family would get tired, but were shocked that other people were joining the bandwagon of lies.

Ms Lungu wondered why none of the people questioning the President’s identity had bothered to question her or any of the other relatives dotted around Lusaka, Copperbelt or in Petauke.

“The young sister to our mother is in Mtendere and anyone, even Mr Mulongoti, can go there and ask her. Our other aunt, the young sister to our father, is in Mukwama Village, Chief Kalindawalo in Petauke. And it is easy to find all these people. So why create lies instead of asking us” she wondered.

She also wondered why people wanted to see the President at funerals, “balefwaya tufwe so that bashininkishe ati epotwaba? (they want us to die so that they prove we exist?”

“We were seven and only three of us are alive. Me, Chagwa and Ackim. So they want us to die to prove that Chagwa is Zambian?”

Ms Lungu, who produced her NRC on request by the Daily Nation, explained that their family originates from Petauke where her eldest sister, Beauty, now late, was born. Of the seven children, Bertha was born in Lusaka and her younger brother, Chagwa in Ndola.

She says because of segregation and fear of hospitals in the old days, most women gave birth at home and had children registered at clinics later. She says no one should claim there was a hospital that time because that would be a lie.

Other family members listed included two other younger brothers and sisters. Four of them have since died including their parents, their father in 1992 and the mother in October 2003.

She said all the people clamouring to take over from her brother should wait upon the Lord and when their time came, it would happen or it may turn out that someone not even connected to any of them, may actually take over as President.

She said this was what happened when her brother became President because no one expected that to happen when President Sata died.

Ms Lungu Chama charged that it was disappointing that Mr Mulongoti who supported President Lungu during the 2015 Presidential elections could turn around and claim that President Lungu is a foreigner who stole someone’s identity just because he was not offered a job.

Ms Lungu also explained that contrary to what most people claim, her brother took care of his family long before he became President.

He made sure he built a house for his late mother Elizabeth Jere and a family house which Bertha and her family are still occupying in Lusaka’s Jack Compound before he became Republican President.

Ms Lungu said contrary to allegations that President Lungu has built mansions for his family and accumulated wealth after becoming President, the family chose to live simply. “Ilya ni contract and contract ilapwa so why should we change our lifestyle,” she said.

She said despite the brother being the Head of state, she will continue living in the compound where she felt more comfortable and enjoyed living among ordinary people in the community.

She said her parents were humble and she would also remain humble and respect the people of Zambia because she’s a law abiding citizen. “President Lungu built a ten bed roomed house for our late mother Eliza Jere before he became President and a six bedroomed house for rent where I am currently staying and my sister in law, Joyce Musamba, she’s the one occupying mum’s house and part of the house is on rent,” said Ms Chama.

Source: Daily Nation