On the 19th of September we were shocked to learn that
Mama Betty Kaunda, wife of first Republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda had died
in her sleep in neighbouring Zimbabwe. News
of her death was rightly received with shock, with many Zambians
taking to social media to express their sadness at losing a true mother of the
nation. The Government subsequently announced
a period of national mourning for the late heroine which has now been extended
to Friday the 28th of September following Dr. Kaunda’s taking ill
over the weekend. As we await our
founding fathers recovery from hospital in readiness for Mama Betty’s state
funeral on Firday, I thought I’d share a couple thoughts on the concept of periods
of national mourning.
The presidential announcement concerning a period of national
mourning usually states the duration of the period and the directive that “all
flags shall fly at half mast and
activities of an entertainment nature should be postponed or cancelled”. I totally agree with the principle
of respecting the memories of the dead, especially when, as in Mama Betty’s
case, they have lead an exemplary life and have contributed to the general
well-being of the nation. My quarrel is
with the length of a period of national mourning and its effects on the lives
of some sections of society. Being an
entertainer and having a background in the private media, I am strongly of the
opinion that too long a period of national mourning is retrogressive. With the instruction to play solemn music
throughout the day, radio stations often have to adjust their content to adhere
to this directive. This often involves a
change in delivery format or indeed cancellation of sponsored programmes often
from large corporate advertisers who often have paid up for their broadcast
time in advance. As to how this issue is
addressed between the broadcasters and the advertisers I can only guess, as
such issues were beyond my pay grade. The long periods of national mourning
also have a negative impact on our musicians and promoters who may have to
cancel or postpone a long planned-for show in some distant corner of the
country. After spending money on advertising a promoter
or club owner has to bear the financial burden of the loss.
A quick Wikipedia search gave me an
indication as to how other countries periods of national mourning… You too can
have a read here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_day_of_mourning In summary though, it
seems the Americans only declare a single day of national mourning for late
presidents on the day of their state funerals.
Nations in Europe will declare a single day in the case of the highest
of high-profile deaths (Lady Diana Spencer and Israeli Yitzhak Rabin got a single
day each!) and in the instances of a fairly large tragedy in which many are
killed. Here in Africa it seems the
bigger is better, the higher the profile, the greater the duration of a period
of national mourning. In 2008 we saw an unprecedented
3 weeks of national mourning declared for then-president Levy Mwanawasa.
Inasmuch as we need to honour our departed
leaders, let us look pragmatically at the whole concept of national mourning, and
not turn it into a meaningless and irrelevant tradition with no real benefit to
the nation. I felt the need to write
this piece in order to give a voice to what many have discussed quietly amongst
themselves but seem to be too scared or ashamed to say out loud. Rest in Peace
Mama Betty, we have lost a symbol of all that is good in Zambian society.
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