Veteran journalist, broadcaster, and diplomat Frank Mutubila has postponed his 73rd birthday celebration, which was due this weekend, in honour of the late sixth President of Zambia, Edgar Chagwa Lungu, who passed away on 5th June following an illness in a Pretoria hospital.
“It’s the least I can do,” said Ambassador Mutubila. “I knew President Lungu personally. I respected and loved him deeply. My birthday can wait—we are mourning a great man.”
Amb. Mutubila, a towering figure in Zambia’s media and diplomatic landscape, has been an enduring presence in the country’s democratic and political evolution, lending his voice and wisdom to national discourse over several decades.
His decision to shelve personal celebrations speaks to the gravity of the national loss Zambia has suffered. A seven-day national mourning period has been declared by President Hakainde Hichilema in line with the protocols accorded to a former Head of State.
Zambia mourns a man remembered for humility, service, and unity. And so do those who knew him best.
