Dr Namani Monze was buried at his family farm in Choma on 4 August 2026, with President Hakainde Hichilema represented by Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa and First Lady Mutinta Hichilema leading hundreds of mourners.
Introduction
Southern Province Permanent Secretary Dr Namani Monze has been laid to rest at his farm in Choma district, closing out a public service career that took him from medicine into some of government’s most demanding administrative postings. First Lady Mutinta Hichilema led hundreds of mourners at the burial, while President Hakainde Hichilema was represented by Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa.
Dr Monze is survived by his wife, Namwiinga Monze, and four children.
What President Hichilema Said
Speaking through Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa, President Hichilema said Dr Monze served Zambia with diligence, hard work and professionalism. He extended condolences to the widow, children and the wider family, and called Dr Monze both an accomplished medical doctor and an outstanding public administrator, a career arc that moved from clinical practice into senior provincial leadership.
Tributes From Choma and the Family
Senior Chief Hamusonde thanked the President and First Lady for what he called a dignified send-off, and remembered Dr Monze as approachable and quick to listen, qualities not every senior civil servant is credited with by the communities they serve.
Speaking on behalf of the widow, her sister Katrinah Mweemba described Dr Monze as a devoted husband and father and a committed Christian. His sister, Kabanga Chipo Mulekwa, called him more than a brother: a trusted friend whose patience and integrity shaped the people around him. His daughter, Mwiza Monze, spoke of a father who sacrificed to put his children through school and pushed them to aim high.
Delivering the eulogy, Evans Mulendele noted that rank never changed him: he reached the senior levels of the civil service without the character shift that sometimes comes with it.
Why a Provincial PS Matters to the Economy
A Permanent Secretary runs the day-to-day administration of a province: coordinating district councils, overseeing service delivery, and acting as the link between national policy and local implementation. Southern Province is one of Zambia’s key agricultural and livestock regions, and its PS sits at the centre of how national budgets, drought response and rural development programmes actually reach farmers and districts on the ground.
A vacancy at that level, even a temporary one, has practical consequences: government business continues, but institutional memory and working relationships built over years of postings take time to rebuild. Choma district and Southern Province more broadly will now look to State House for a successor appointment.
Key Takeaways
- Dr Namani Monze, Southern Province Permanent Secretary, was buried at his Choma farm.
- President Hichilema, represented by Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa, and First Lady Mutinta Hichilema led national tributes.
- Dr Monze is survived by his wife, Namwiinga Monze, and four children.
- His career spanned medicine and senior public administration.
- Southern Province now awaits a successor appointment to the PS role.
Related: HH Accords Official Funeral to Dr. Namani Monze | Farewell, Pilgrim: A Tribute to Dr. Canisius Banda
By Zambian Economist Analyst
