Sosola’s fence fails to shut down Lucius Banda mausoleum

GVH Sosola’s attempt to keep people away from Lucius Banda’s final resting place appears to have hit a dead end, with the mausoleum committee insisting that the site remains open to the public.

The Lucius Banda Mausoleum Committee has dismissed reports that the mausoleum has been closed, saying Group Village Headman Sosola did not have the authority to shut down the site.

In a statement dated August 29, 2026, Committee Chairperson Hon. Allan Essau Phiri, MP, said the confusion arose after GVH Sosola instructed some of his subjects to erect a temporary pole fence around the immediate area of the mausoleum on August 27.

Photographs of the fence later circulated on social media, with claims that the chief had closed the mausoleum because the committee had failed to consult the family and the traditional authority during its construction.

However, the committee said the claim was untrue, stressing that the construction and unveiling of the mausoleum were undertaken in consultation with both the family and the chief.

According to the committee, GVH Sosola was also present at the unveiling ceremony and delivered a speech at the event.

The committee said the issue instead arose because there had been no clear agreement on how members of the public would access the mausoleum after its unveiling. The mausoleum is located within the Sosola graveyard, which is under the custodianship of the chief.

The committee said some members of the public had started visiting the graveyard and mausoleum without informing or seeking permission from the chief. It said some visits involved intoxicated individuals, while there were also incidents of children climbing on the mausoleum and visitors stepping on graves.

Such conduct, the committee said, was contrary to the traditions governing access to the graveyard and raised concerns over the need to properly regulate visits and protect the dignity of the site.

The committee explained that the temporary pole fence, which includes a removable section serving as a gate, was therefore erected as a protective measure to regulate access rather than to prevent the public from visiting the mausoleum.

Following an audience involving the Lucius Banda Mausoleum Committee, the Lucius Banda Foundation and GVH Sosola, the chief reportedly clarified the reasons behind the fence.

The committee said the chief’s actions were well-intentioned and aimed at protecting the mausoleum, the graveyard and the dignity of Lucius Banda’s resting place.