The Body of late prominent lawyer, Ralph Kasambara who succumbed to heart failure, was buried on Monday with military honours at his home Village, Chijere in the area of Senior Chief Timbiri in Nkhata Bay district.
Kasambara, who once served as Minister of Justice and Attorney General under the administration of former President Dr Joyce Banda, was found dead at a lodge in Area 47, Lilongwe on Friday.
Speaking at the funeral ceremony, Minister of Defence, Harry Mkandawire who represented President Dr Lazarus Chakwera, said the president was deeply saddened by the death of Kasambara as his work in the country cannot go unnoticed.
“The President acknowledges that Kasambara was a freedom fighter, he nurtured fellow lawyers and worked tremendously in the country’s judicial field and for that reason, he requested that I tell the MDF to bring his body here and accord him full military honours.
Ralph had the opportunity to join politics if he had wanted to but chose to pursue law as he had a passion to ensure things in the country run through the law’s order. The president has thus given K5 million as a condolence to the family,” said Mkandawire.
In his remarks, Supreme Court Judge Dingiswayo Madise who represented the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, said the late Kasambara made a name for himself through his great work.
“The Chief Justice is sad on the demise of the Senior counsel Kasambara. For a lawyer to be known, it is through the wars that are fought at the court. We are sad to have lost one of our own,” said Madise.
Former Attorney General, Kalekeni Kaphale said Kasambara was not an ordinary man in the legal framework as he was an example which his fellow lawyers emulated.
He was a leader who set the pace for us to follow. He taught us to love God and help those in need. Let’s follow his example. He will forever remain in our hearts as one of the gifted sons of Malawi,” Kaphale said.
Representative of the bereaved family, Ben Chirwa Kasambara said as a family, they had lost a pillar who was a great help to the family and the nation at large.
“I want to thank everyone for coming despite the rainy weather. As a family of Kasambara, Chijere we are saddened and deeply affected as Ralph was helping the family and the nation,” said Kasambara.
In his remarks, Senior Chief Timbiri thanked President Dr Lazarus Chakwera for the respect accorded to late Kasambara, saying that was proof that the late Kasambara was not an ordinary man.
“It’s not easy for one to attain the kind of education that Ralph did. We are thankful to the President for the respect that has been accorded to him and this is proof that he wasn’t an ordinary man,” he said.
Born on 26 September 1968, the late Kasambara is survived by a wife and three sons.
