. Msiska

By CLEVER ZULU –
BODY viewing for the late President Michael Sata will be temporarily suspended today, Secretary to the Cabinet Roland Msiska has announced.
Dr Msiska, in a statement released in Lusaka yesterday, said body viewing by all members of the public will not take place this morning as has been the case but will resume at 14:00 hours until 19:00 hours.
“Body viewing will temporarily be suspended on Saturday morning. Members of the public and other dignitaries are, however, advised that body viewing will resume on the same day at 14:00 hours and will go on until 19:00 hours,” he said.
The Secretary to the Cabinet added that body viewing will proceed normally on Sunday, which is the last day for body viewing, from 08:00 hours to 19:00 hours while programmes for Monday and Tuesday remain the same.
On Monday, the body of the late Head of State, who died at King Edward VII hospital in London last Tuesday, will be moved to Parliament buildings for an inter-denominational thanksgiving requiem church service.
The late Mr Sata will be put to rest on Tuesday at Embassy Park but the burial will be preceded with a requiem mass at the National Heroes Stadium.
Meanwhile, several roads in Lusaka will be closed on Monday and Tuesday to facilitate for the burial programme of Mr Sata.
Great East, Great North, Church, Addis Ababa, Chikwa, Independence Avenue, Pundit Neru, Haile Selassie and Nationalist roads will all be closed from 06:30 to 13:30 hours and motorists are advised to use alternative routes.
The roads will be closed to allow the cortege and mourners’ procession to traverse from Mulungushi International Conference Centre, National Heroes Stadium and Embassy Park during the burial of Mr Sata.
Ministry of Information Permanent Secretary Bert Mushala has also said in a statement issued yesterday that provincial administrations had been facilitated with resources to ensure that funeral proceedings on the burial day were televised on big screens at selected centres in the province to enable citizens follow the funeral procession.
Mr Mushala said Government was happy with the arrangements made so far by  provincial and district administrations  for the public to come together in their localities to mourn  the late President through interdenominational prayer meetings and signing of books of condolences.
He said Government was equally happy with the media for the critical role it has, and continued to play in providing information and updates to the public and also the public for the dignified manner in which they were mourning.