JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — The family of Zambia’s former President Edgar Lungu has announced that he will be laid to rest in South Africa during a private ceremony, following an unresolved dispute with the Zambian government over his funeral arrangements.
This decision comes after President Hakainde Hichilema abruptly cut short a period of national mourning on Thursday, subsequent to the Lungu family’s refusal to allow the repatriation of his body from South Africa as initially planned for a funeral scheduled this Sunday in Lusaka, Zambia.
The family has indicated that they will announce the exact date for Lungu’s burial in Johannesburg at a later time, emphasizing their desire for a ceremony conducted with “dignity and peace.” This marks a historic precedent, as it will be the first instance of a former head of state from another country being buried in South Africa.
It has also emerged that, in his will, Lungu explicitly stated that his long-time rival, President Hichilema, should not attend his funeral.
Despite an initial agreement between the government and the family for a state funeral, relations deteriorated over the precise arrangements.
Family spokesperson Makebi Zulu confirmed their decision in a statement: “We wish to announce that the funeral and burial of our beloved Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu will take place here in South Africa, in accordance with the family’s wishes for a private ceremony.”
Mr. Zulu expressed gratitude to the South African government for its “non-interference” and for honoring the family’s decision and desire during “this deeply emotional period.”
In his address on Thursday, President Hichilema asserted that Lungu, as a former President, “belongs to the nation of Zambia” and his body should therefore “be buried in Zambia with full honours, and not in any other nation.”
However, due to the escalating dispute, he declared an immediate end to the national mourning period, stating that the country needed to “resume normal life.” He added that “The government has done everything possible to engage with the family of our departed sixth President.”
The national mourning period had initially run from June 8 to 14 and was later extended until June 23, with flags flown at half-mast and solemn music played on radio stations.
President Hichilema and senior officials had been prepared to receive Lungu’s coffin with full military honors on Wednesday, but the family blocked the repatriation at the last minute, alleging the government had reneged on agreed funeral plans.
The opposition Patriotic Front (PF), the party Lungu led until his death, has publicly stood in solidarity with the family regarding the funeral arrangements.
PF acting president Given Lubinda criticized the government’s handling of the matter, stating: “The government has turned a solemn occasion into a political game. This is not how we treat a former head of state.”
Civil society groups have called for an urgent resolution, with a section of religious leaders expressing concern that the stand-off was “hurting the dignity of our country.”
Emmanuel Chikoya, head of the Council of Churches in Zambia, appealed for a peaceful resolution: “We appeal for humility, dialogue, and a resolution that honours the memory of the former President while keeping the nation united.”
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Lungu, who served as Zambia’s head of state from 2015 to 2021, passed away earlier this month in South Africa, where he had been receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness. After his six-year tenure, Lungu lost the 2021 election to Hichilema by a significant margin.
Though he initially stepped back from politics, he later returned to the political arena with ambitions to contest the presidency again.
However, he was constitutionally barred by the Constitutional Court at the end of last year, which ruled he had already served the maximum two terms allowed by law.
Despite his disqualification, Lungu remained a hugely influential figure in Zambian politics and was a vocal critic of his successor.
