Sata joins mourners at the funeral Church Service of BY Mwila

Zambian President Michael Sata has attended the funeral church service for the late former Defence Minister Ben Mwila who died on Saturday in South Africa at the age of 70.

President Sata who is rarely seen in public was amongst the mourners at the church service. He arrived at the Catholic Cathedral of the Child Jesus Church in Lusaka at 10:50am local time in the company of First Lady Christine Kaseba.

Former president Rupiah Banda, leaders of the opposition parties that includes UPND’s Hakainde Hichilema, and MMD’s Nevers Mumba were part of the mourners at the Church service.

The body of Mwila arrived at the Church just after 11am. After a service hundreds of mourners lined up to pay their last respect before burial at Leopard Hill’s Memorial Park in Lusaka.

President Sata gave Mwila a state funeral and declared a three-day-national mourning that ends Thursday 6pm. Mwila played a key role in bringing democracy and is the longest serving Minister of Defence.