Embassy Park Presidential Burial Site, commonly referred to as Embassy Park or Embassy Memorial Park, is a national monument in Lusaka, Zambia. It serves as the official burial place for the country's presidents and is a site of immense historical and cultural significance.[1] Designated as a National Monument in 2009,[2][3] Embassy Park is also known to be a symbol of Zambia's political and social heritage. The site honours the contributions of the country's leaders towards its growth and development. Among those buried here are Kenneth Kaunda, the first president of Zambia, Frederick Chiluba,[4] the second president, Levy Mwanawasa,[5] the third president, Rupiah Banda, the fourth president, and Michael Sata, the fifth president. The park is accessible to the public and also provides a platform for visitors to pay their respects to Zambia's former presidents and to learn more about the country's cultural and political background.[6][7]
Mausoleums
The Presidential Burial Site at Embassy Park houses three mausoleums of former Zambian presidents: Levy Mwanawasa, Fredrick Chiluba, and Michael Sata.[3] Each mausoleum has been designed to reflect the individual legacies and significant contributions of these presidents to the country's political and social landscape.[1][8] Notably, the mausoleums for Rupiah Banda and Kenneth Kaunda have yet to be constructed.
The Mwanawasa mausoleum is the first one at the Presidential Memorial site and is shaped like a stool to represent that he was the first president of Zambia to die while in office.
Levy Mwanawasa, the first Zambian president to die while in office, has a mausoleum shaped like a stool, with four boot-shaped pillars representing his commitment to fighting corruption and eight steps leading to the entrance symbolizing his two terms as president. He was buried on his 60th birthday, September 3, 2008.[8] The Zambian government spent over K2 billion on the construction of the mausoleum and grave, with a total cost of K2,876,147,959.20.[9] The construction works were completed in 2018.[10][1]
Fredrick Chiluba was the first former head of state to be buried at the Presidential Memorial Park. The Zambian government spent over K3m on the construction of Chiluba's mausoleum, which is designed like a chapel with a cross on top, representing his declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation, on the roof there is a small structure representing a thatch-roofed house, reflecting his commitment to empowering Zambians with housing.[11] The mausoleum has 10 pillars around it, representing the 10 years Chiluba served as president, and symbolizing his commitment to uniting the southern African region. The entrance to his mausoleum is shaped like a necktie, reflecting his exquisite dress style.[1]
The mausoleum's design is based on King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem and represents the large-scale infrastructure development that President Sata pursued during his time in office.
Michael Sata, the fifth president of Zambia and second sitting president to be buried at the Presidential Memorial Park, is designed like King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, representing the massive infrastructure development he embarked on during his presidency. The inside has 10 pillars representing the 10 provinces of Zambia, the 10 Commandments from the Bible written in English and Arabic, and a portrait of Sata at St Ignatius Catholic Church on the day he made the pronouncement.[1] A stairway outside the mausoleum leads to the temple's upper level, with the steps having the names of 29 districts created under his leadership as president.[11][12]
President Kaunda was the first democratically elected president of Zambia after the country gained independence from Britain in 1964. He served as an elder statesman for the African continent until he fell ill. Kaunda played an important role in serving Zambia, the Southern African region, and the rest of the continent.[1] His tombstone bears the inscription of "ONE ZAMBIA ONE NATION" motto, representing his dedication to unifying the country's 73 tribes.[4] Kaunda was buried here in July 2021 after the High court dismissed a petition by one of his sons who wanted to have him buried at his farm next to his late wife. The son had argued that his father had wished to be buried next to his wife.[8][16]
