09/12/2025
Heartbroken Franklin Tembo buries ‘Junior’
It has often been said that no parent should have to bury their child, since children are generally supposed to outlive their parents.
But this fear sadly came true for Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC)'s veteran broadcaster Franklin Tembo Jr and his wife Linda, who lost their first born son only aged 23.
The death of Franklin Tembo Jr III, a first year University of Zambia (UNZA) student, broke the family considering that he died barely a day after complaining about abdominal pain.
A family representative told mourners at Libala Grace Ministries Church yesterday that Franklin, the oldest among his three siblings, was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital on Thursday, a day after he was treated for abdominal pain at the clinic.
A visibly grief stricken Franklin Tembo Jr could not hold it when saying an emotional final goodbye looking into the casket-regretting how he will no longer celebrate birthdays with his namesake.
"...I will always love you, I have lost a birthday mate, we had 23 wonderful birthdays together,your name will always be on the birthday cake, I won't be with you this Christmas, no fireworks, no overnights, but I will retain your love, go well my son, so proud of you," the sobbing ZNBC executive producer, who was scheduled to have a 400metre race with Junior at the weekend, said.
For Linda, tears of a loving mother rolled over as she said her ultimate goodbye to "my little boy".
"My baby, you always said I was strong, you always wanted to emulate my strength.
"You gave up too easily my boy, I needed you to be strong for me and you heard, because you didn't want to see me in pain and you took the pain on my behalf, my baby I love you, I will always love you my little boy, you should go well my baby boy, oh".
His siblings described him as a personable and kind loving "boy" who always smiled-but that he left them "crushed".
Ministry of Information and Media Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana consoled the grieving family on behalf of the Government. The youth was later buried at Memorial Park, where UNZA ‘monks’ and ‘momas’ performed farewell rituals.
Ends
CREDIT:ADMIN
PICTURE:ONLINE
