Former Zambian President Edgar Lungu to Be Buried in South Africa Amid Funeral Dispute with Government
- Victor Nwoko
- 17 hours ago
- 2 min read
Former Zambian President Edgar Lungu will be buried in South Africa rather than his homeland following a dispute between his family and the Zambian government regarding the nature of his funeral arrangements.
Lungu, 68, died earlier this month in a South African hospital after battling an undisclosed illness. Efforts to repatriate his body for burial in Zambia were derailed by a bitter disagreement between his family and the administration of current President Hakainde Hichilema. Central to the dispute was the family's demand that President Hichilema, a longtime political rival of Lungu, should not attend the funeral.
Makebi Zulu, spokesperson and legal representative for the Lungu family, announced that the former president would be laid to rest in South Africa in accordance with the family’s desire for a private ceremony.
“We would especially like to extend our sincere appreciation to the Government of the Republic of South Africa for their respectful support and for honoring the family’s decision to hold a private funeral and burial here,” Zulu said.
On Thursday, President Hichilema addressed the nation in a televised statement and officially canceled the previously declared 16-day national mourning period.
“Our country cannot afford a state of indefinite mourning,” Hichilema said. “We have done everything possible to engage the family of our departed sixth Republican President, and we have reached a point where a clear decision has to be made.” He also issued a formal apology to the South African government for any inconvenience caused.
Lungu served as Zambia’s sixth president from 2015 until 2021, when he lost the general election to Hichilema. Despite his electoral defeat, Lungu remained a central figure in Zambian politics and was expected to play a role in the upcoming elections.
The animosity between Lungu and Hichilema dates back several years and reached its peak in 2017 when Hichilema was arrested and charged with treason for allegedly refusing to give way to Lungu’s presidential convoy. The incident intensified the political divide in the country.
In recent years, Lungu accused the current government of using law enforcement agencies to harass and limit his movements. His family also claimed that the government initially blocked his travel to South Africa for medical treatment, though the administration denied those allegations.
With Lungu now set to be buried outside Zambia, the decision marks a rare instance of a former head of state from the region being laid to rest abroad due to unresolved political tensions at home.
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