Hichilema rises above Politics and Protocol to mourn his Predecessor with dignity
By Mukumbuta Mukumbuta | June 15, 2025
In what is being seen as a deeply unifying gesture, President Hakainde Hichilema has facilitated an agreement with the family of Zambia’s Sixth Republican President, Edgar Chagwa Lungu, on his repatriation and funeral arrangements.
Following President Lungu’s passing on June 5th, 2025, in South Africa, the Zambian government engaged in difficult but ultimately successful discussions with the Lungu family to ensure national unity at a time of mourning.
While many of the family’s requests diverged from state protocols, the President’s team were able to accommodate the majority of the former leader’s wishes.
In an act of magnanimity, President Hichilema has extended the national mourning period by nine full days, up to the 23rd June, the date of Lungu’s burial.
“This is a time for unity, not division,” said a senior government official involved in the process. “The President gave clear instructions that the family should be listened to, and that the State should act with empathy.”
Contrary to earlier claims, and misinformation on social media it has emerged that the Hichilema administration had officially supported Lungu’s travel to South Africa for medical care.
This was according to Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa, who confirmed that he had corresponded with Professor Njovu, President Lungu’s personal physician, to offer assistance,
“Efforts were made, on record, to support the former President during his treatment,” the Cabinet Secretary affirmed at the joint press briefing. “This government never stood in the way of his care, contrary to public speculation.”
The fact that this revelation has come from the civil service and not the UPND demonstrates how purposeful the President has been in managing his party following the demise of a political opponent, who has left an unarguably divisive legacy.
The quiet and dignified approach of the President speaks volumes about his character: committed to justice, but never vengeful; principled, but never proud.
After days of negotiation, both the State and the family have agreed to a hybrid arrangement that preserves the late President Lungu’s dignity while upholding national protocol:
- The body will be repatriated privately on 18th June with full military honours.
- Public viewing will be held at Mulungushi International Conference Center from 19th to 21st June.
- A State Funeral will take place on 22nd June, with foreign dignitaries expected.
- A valedictory ceremony and church service will conclude the program on 23rd June.
Each evening, the body will be returned to Lungu’s Chifwema residence, reflecting a clear willingness by Government to respect the family’s wishes.
President Hichilema’s conduct throughout this process has not gone unnoticed. Political observers have lauded his restraint and statesmanship, noting that it takes uncommon grace to honour the very man who once stripped him of his liberty and dignity.
“In moments like this, you see the measure of a leader,” said political analyst Dr. Joseph Zulu. “President Hichilema could have insisted on protocol, but he chose healing. It’s remarkable.”
As the nation prepares to lay to rest its sixth Republican President, the message from Hichilema’s team has been clear: this is not the time for division or blame. It is a time for compassion, unity, and collective reflection.
Today, the national flag remains at half-mast at State House, as well as at President Hichilema’s residence, Community House.
At such a critical moment for the country, the symbolism could not be clearer. By embracing the family of his former political foe in their moment of mourning, President Hichilema has shown he is a Statesman capable of leading our national Community with compassion.
On the 23rd of June, the country has an opportunity to emerge united and to move forward as One Zambia, One Nation once more.
And meanwhile, all Zambians are bearing the cost of PF’s and the Lungu family’s masewera. There really is a time for everything…
Mukumbuta naiwe bodzaaa! Rises above politics? To solve this you have to do nothing but be embroiled in politics otherwise you call on God. Is that what you’re trying to fib on us ? That he became Godly and ordered solutions to drop like manna?
Wise move by HH
LT why are you giving us the picture of state house for Hichilema’s story when he doesn’t live there? Get Hamasaka to lend you a picture of Community House. Or get a drone and photograph it
Clap, Clap, Clap, The world is watching
have any thought what it would have been like if the shoe had of been on the other foot ??
before commenting
Very good.Might as well drop all criminal charges for the sake of peace and unity and national healing
After Makebi categorically put it on record that the Lungus in SA never called for clemency on their court cases, it has dawned on all that all of that was disinformation.
I personally want them to go all the way through trial to prove in the law court.
Proporsal like yours MuZambian come with unethical conditions. Have we not seen what has come of Lungu’s former press aide? He lost his faculties and became insensible and clueless.
Don’t forget, Criminals are only outside upnd. And we are indoctrinated to believe that.
forget not
Makebi is talking rubbish……
How else do you think the lungu family can want to arm twist GRZ ???……..
The only cards they had was the burial of the late………
No one in GRZ would worry if the late president is buried outside Zambia or away from where the other presidents are buried just like mugabe …….
But for protocol and public pleasantries GRZ entered into negotiations……
Here the widow is allowed to keep the state benifits as if her husband did not renounce his……..but investigations into looting continues
FWD2031
To what end?
No ways criminal charges are not on Lungu but on his kith. Esther and company dont have immunity baba!
Pssst..Forget not. He wasnt a press aide. He was the President. Disguised as Special assistant to the presidency! kikikikikikiki! When these little journalists go into State House they are so close to power, they smell the power, they sit in the presidents chair when the president is away. Then they use his powers without borrowing them. Well thats what one aid is now telling us
His lack of protocol observation made Lungu leapfrog the government barriers to land into RSA as an ordinary citizen. How should you observe policy procedure only to the corpse but not the person? Those that didn’t give me flowers in my living years must keep those flowers to themselves and not lay them on my casket or grave.
Our republican leader should bend protocol now the same way he broke it when his predecessor was breathing.
Don’t forget, hh broke a cardinal procedure or standard practice, too when he selected his private residence in place of State House. Notwithstanding, there is no law broken.
Africans dont lay flowers on graves. Its a colonial master culture that was and is being imitated by Master-do-Slave-do Africans
The article above states mr lungu was afforded all possible assistance……..
But not his retirement package as per constitution…….
What protocol did HH fail to observe ??
FWD2031
Exactly I sure there are going to be big claims when he leaves office considering all the work done at GRZ expense
Sad But this is how we are Calling for peace and harmony yet holding a dagger behind
Forget not
I posted that with sarcasm
Are you going back to the motorcade incident ?? I’m lost
Spaka
Why must I follow the article? It is only written like that to save face. We firsthand know what Lungu went through from the time he left office to when he laid lifeless. The Secretary to the Cabinet was sugar-coating the bitter pill before he swallowed it. He might st impress with lies, the government that pays his bills.
forget not
What did lungu go through ???
Apart from investigations into wealth he could not account for……..
He was treated very civil considering how he treated HH……
FWD2031
Added costs. Other presidents would have acted differently. Let’s all commend HH for his Big heart, his wisdom and tolerance patience. He is very different from the ones who have on the other side who sometimes look like mad men. Kudos ba HH!
What other presidents? This is not the first time such a squabble has arisen in Zambian politics. And it has previously been sorted
Not to beat a dead person ,but for context it must be remembered ECL was part of the PF team that haunted ,prosecuted and persecuted Rupiah Banda when he left office.
HH must be commended for his magnanimity ,humanity ,respect for protocol and rising above retribution for what was done to him .He’s a devout SDA Christian afterall.
And ECL still wants to “beat up” HH from the great beyond (aka the grave) by banning him from being at his funeral.
Spaka – thank you.
Dropping criminal charges is incongruent to giving pension, gratuity or benefits to Lungu’s widow. Besides, he worked for it and when he died he ceased being in active politics. That is a straight forward proposal and only prudent that we think rationally over it.
MuZambian – He hinted idea that procecutions, henceforth, must be discontinued in exchange for order, integration and harmony. Therein lay my contribution to that thought.
Don’t forget: Zambia is for both the living and the departed whom we always immortalize even from the archives. MHSRIEP
When all this is done and dusted can a movement be started asking for bids to recolonize Zambia
we’ve wasted enough time trying our local so called experts let’s advance into the modern world please
And where does that leave the VP who went to parliament to scream with emphasis that it is treasonous to bar the republican president from attending the funeral of Edgar Lungu?
She may be lucking her wounds and wishing she never opened her mouth for such words.
Don’t forget, even corpses have rights.
@forget not, just as ordinary Zambians will never forget that the corpse’s rights have been compromised by it’s own party comrades who have shown us who they really are and we believe them.
Never again….
Well stated ,Muntu .
Muntu.
You forgot to say something about what the VP said.
Don’t forget. Just as it was not seditious when his motorcade was blocked in Mongu it can not be treason when barred from attending his funeral.