The Editor Zambia
There is a fundamental difference between the government honouring a former president and a newspaper choosing to publish his portrait.
Confusing the two risks turning a legitimate debate about remembrance into a political dispute over editorial decisions. 
In our view, a State funeral and a presidential send-off carry far greater national significance than a newspaper front page. A state funeral is an official act of national recognition, while a newspaper cover is determined by the publication’s editorial judgement. They serve different purposes and should not be treated as interchangeable measures of respect.
The distinction matters. The government is responsible for its own decisions and official arrangements concerning the recognition of a former Head of State. A newspaper, whether privately owned or publicly funded, operates within its own editorial framework, although questions of public accountability may arise depending on its ownership, mandate, and use of public resources.
The absence of sixth Republican President Edgar Chagwa Lungu’s portrait from a newspaper cover does not, by itself, establish that the government has disrespected him.
To make that argument, one would need to distinguish the newspaper’s decision from any official government position or directive. Without that distinction, criticism of an editorial choice can easily be misdirected at the state.
This does not mean that those questioning the missing portrait have no legitimate point. For many people, the image of a former president represents recognition of the office he held and his place in Zambia’s political history. They are entitled to express disappointment and to ask the publication to explain its editorial decision.
However, the same standard of consistency should apply to everyone involved in the debate.
Some of the voices now protesting the missing portrait have previously called on the government to leave Lungu alone.
If those statements were intended to discourage government involvement in matters concerning the former president, it is fair to ask whether the current criticism is directed at the right institution.
There is an important difference between demanding that the government respect a former President’s wishes and demanding that a newspaper publish his photograph. The first concerns the conduct of the state; the second concerns an editorial decision. One does not automatically determine the other.
Ultimately, Lungu’s legacy should not be reduced to whether his photograph appears on a particular front page. His presidency, public record, and place in Zambia’s history deserve consideration beyond the symbolism of a single image.
Our position is that the debate should be conducted with clarity and fairness. If the concern is about government recognition, let the discussion focus on the Government’s actual actions. If it is about a newspaper’s editorial decision, let the publication be held accountable for that decision on its own merits.
A State funeral is an official national occasion. A newspaper front page is an editorial choice. Both can carry symbolic meaning, but they are not the same thing, and criticism of one should not automatically be attributed to the other.
