Edgar Lungu to Be Buried in South Africa, Family Confirms Private Funeral
The family of the late President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has confirmed that the former head of state will be laid to rest in Johannesburg, South Africa, following a private family ceremony. In a statement issued today, the family expressed deep appreciation for the support received from across Africa and commended the South African government for its non-interference and respect for their decision.
Family spokesperson Hon. Makebi Zulu noted that the family seeks peace and unity during this difficult period, and that further funeral details will be communicated in due course.
PRESS STATEMENT FROM THE EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU FAMILY
For Immediate Release
On behalf of the Lungu family, 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.
This period has been deeply emotional for the family, and we are grateful for the overwhelming support and condolences extended to the family from across the continent and the globe.
We would especially like to extend our sincere appreciation to the Government of the Republic of South Africa for their respectful support and for honouring the family’s decision to hold a private funeral and burial here in South Africa.
Your non-interference and respect of the South African Constitution, the rights of the family, and the desire of the family is commendable and will give space to mourn and celebrate the life of our loved Edgar Chagwa Lungu in dignity and peace.
The visit of the Honourable Minister for International Relations, Mr. Ronald Lamola, was heartwarming when he came to convey a message of condolences on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The Lungu family continues to seek peace and unity amongst fellow Zambians during this time and thanks all friends, supporters, and members of the public for their understanding, compassion and willingness to mourn the former Head of State who, as it has been resolved by the family, will be buried here in Johannesburg, South Africa, at a private funeral.
Further details regarding the funeral arrangements and burial will be shared with the Zambian and South African public in due course.
Issued by:
Hon. Makebi Zulu
Family Spokesperson
Please just bury Lungu anywhere his family wishes…..no more unnecessary drama….let the family mourn in peace…
I am with the family on this. In the absence of constitutional guidelines, they are the undisputable and only real authority on this funeral.
Quiet embarrassing, you pull off the national mourning, and next the family decisively and swiftly says we are burrying in South Africa. This could have been avoided if the state honoured its part.
Shameful to the Lungu Family. Stay there don’t come back to Zambia? Ndiye Upuba uyuuu who does that? You will be going there for memorials? What a stupid family. Now they have started a war that they will not finish. All PF influencers should be arrested. This is it, they have lost it. Who would trust such a group of foo.ls.
The Guilty Momentum
When someone has the fear from his past, the burning inside never stops. Zambians, innocent people were affected by the gasing. To avoid completely from prosecution, disappearance in unfashionable manner occurs. And today we have just witnessed that.
Maloza ayo, I thought Chief Mumbi was even there to guide!! The country mourned without the body of the deceased! He went as a patient, how can RSA agree to burial of a foreigner like a stateless John Doe? I’m shocked! France would NEVER have agreed to LPM being buried in France! Where were his parish priests since they reverred in “christianity”? As an africanI’m shocked to the core – Mr Ramaposa surely? Tambo and others who died in exile were returned home to SA, Zimbabwe etc…maloza!
You are hurt ka lol
Only ex dictators or former misruling leaders get buried on foreign soil.Mobutu Sese Seko,Idi Amin,Bettino Craxi…
Kwame Nkrumah was first buried in Guinea baba then later after negotiations between two govts transported the remains to his home town . The same can be done here palibe maloza apa
He shall be brought back to Zambia after August Next year
No Sir/Madam, Pascal Lissouba is buried in France! His family will take back his remains to Congo Brazzaville when the atmosphere will allow!!
Shameful to the Lungu Family. Stay there don’t come back to Zambia? Ndiye Upuba uyuuu who does that? You will be going there for memorials? What a stupid family. Now they have started a war that they will not finish. All PF influencers should be arrested. This is it, they have lost it. Who would trust such a group of foo.ls.
The government is to blame. They did not keep the promises of the agreement. They changed traditions of allowing people to welcome the body at the airport and cut short the mourning period. What did we expect the family to do. For government those were just formalities but for the family they are grieved.
Now we will never know that he is really unalive. Habeas corpus.
@Shokoshugi then you do not know what MALOZA means = facilitating a curse! He went as a patient, he was NOT an exiled refugee/persecutee…Wait for the spat! There are those hoarding this as a “rallying call” next year…fili okotuleya…
Stranger than fiction!
Monumental and peace inducing decision.Zambians won’t be held hostage anymore and nation building is back on top of priorities.
All is well, the family has every right to bury where they wish
Don’t disturb them, they are the final authority. The order of descision making will always be family first, his party second and us the people together with the state third
RIP ECL – A humble and dedicated servant leader of Zambia
This is not how we should live as a country…so much hate…..we shouldn’t be sworn enemies just because we belong to different Political parties and have different ideologies…
True. Ideology? That one NO. We just operate according to where the wind blows
ECL has passed on HH is very much alive
I ask you where is the impasse coming from
bear in mind this is between two people not the general population
There’s no guarantee that the burial process by the family and friends was going to go smoothly. I for saw obstacles and stampedes. Let it end the way it has ended. He’s not the first leader to be buried in a foreign land.
I stand with the family
As well you might. No big deal with fair-minded people. They’re perfectly entitled to reject a state funeral.
We should learn to forgive each other and move on….we can’t be walking around with a heart of hate and vengeance…..as a humanist am very disappointed with Zambian Politicians on both sides….
Dear Advisors to the President,
There were only 2 days left before the end of the national mourning. Was there a convincing reason for not letting run its course?
Ending it abruptly like that showed anger and emotion which should be reserved at this time.
The swift and decisive response to bury ECL in SA by his family who are the final authority on this funeral is a direct response to the abrupt end of the national mourning, and it embarrasses the state that a former head of state must be lying in foreign soil.
Issued by Friends of Peace & Justice, Lusaka 20th June 2025
“it embarrasses the state that a former head of state must be lying in foreign soil.”
How is that an embarrassment to the state? The family never wanted to bring the body but tried to hold the state at ransom. Wherever Lungug is buried, it does not affect Zambians in any way. Life goes on as usual.. Just go and join them if you want in South Africa.
Comment: In Africa, death at times reconciles sworn enemies. But this Zambian issue is sounding unusual.
A blooming shame
A price for this is going to be high
there is no doubt about that
HH should have got off his high horse flown to SA and personally tried to make some peace with the family, Instead of delegating others to clean the mess
Advisors therelizno?
I thought the dying wish was for HH to keep away?
There is the inadequate man above replying to Tikki using multiple aliases Maybe…….
Bwana, using multiple aliases won’t cure your inabilities and inadequacies
FWD2041
I am with the family on this. If you who is not wanted at a funeral you are the first one to stop Zambians from going to receive the remains at the airport, then let’s bury in SA.
Millions are with the family
Just bury him there. No hard feelings except we will feel somehow betrayed by the politicians who are always trying to divide us.
At least we are coming to an end of this drama,whichever way. I am sure some if his family members will relocate to South Africa.
When you have a lot of money , unexplained money , burial in any country is possible, we wish the family well………
This lays bare the fact that all this impass was because of investigations to the late lungus unexplained wealth…….
This impass has nothing to do with who should and should not attend, this and that arrangement, no……….
It is because GRZ refused to drop investigations……
how can you accept a state funeral and expect the head of state not to
attend ?????…….. comeon
They accepted a state funeral only to find investigations will not be dropped……
They know full well you can’t exclude the head of state from a state funeral
FWD2031
Joker
Indeed the guy talking of investigations has always been a serious clown
Even the wife says it that this c parker guy is a damn joker
# Respect the wishes of the family
Look at this inadequate man above using multiple aliases…..
Only a man unsure of him self does that……
I’m sure his wife has told him him his inadequacies
We are here
FWD2041
Rubbish
Very strange! Lots of secrecy surrounding the death of former President Lungu. No official information about his illnesses, what he died of, what complications caused his death, whether the medical team was competent enough to perform the procedure, etc. Maybe his death could have been avoided if his illness was not wrapped in secrecy.
Too late the hero, he is gone
# Respect the family wishes
Burying Lungu locally could have potentially led to significant unrest. His burial in South Africa has likely helped to maintain a more peaceful environment. Given the unpredictable nature of the PF’s recent actions, only God knows what the outcome might have been had he been buried here.
So they’ve opted for a private funeral….from today no more press briefings or attention seeking….or any negotiations…no more ” addressing the nation about Lungu’s funeral arrangements…let them communicate within their family…..no media invitation…
The family is not in breach of any law. I am wondering why some misguided souls seem hurt
Labbish = multiple aliases
Maybe because he was republican president for all Zambians ?????
FWD2031
Surely we are all with the family on this. No politics. For any funeral, family wishes take precedence over any other. The family should not be condemned, victimised or called names. It is unnecessary. Let us move on in unity.
South Africa is our ancestral land anyway. Even in death you continue to antagonise a man. This is how some people inherit a curse that will haunt them for generations to come. M.H.S.R.I.P
The way the South African Sangomas like using body parts of powerful people for muti, it must be a frenzy now in Sangomas cycles of finding where he is being buried! Bazalila babululu ba Chagwa years from now when they try to exhume him for reburial in Zambia only to find an empty tomb, Jesus Christ style! Kukanya lwakwa Noah bakeba.
What killed Lungu fyali fyakuiletelela umwine! Too much addiction to sansamcation and bu Kaminamisa.
This is the truth
You may bury wherever and whenever as you have the right as a family. But please after burial come back to zambia as there are still many cases pending.
The Guilty Momentum
When someone has the fear from his past, the burning inside never stops. Zambians, innocent people were affected by the gaming. To avoid completely from prosecution, disappearance in unfashionable manner occurs. And today we have just witnessed that.
Just bury we have alot to think about. That person is no more and he shouldnt bring the nation to a standstill. Bury were ever u want. Infact the government shouldnt even say a word,let them be. Who is lungu when his dead.
Lets go back to work please….as we speak people are dying in our Hospitals due lack of medicine….and we’re busy fighting for someone who’s dead…..no wonder we will never develop…..we bring Politics into everything…..
The concerned rudderless politicians can pay for all the cadres to fly to SA and fontinize the airport that side before the family continues their court cases in Zambia in due course
If he is really dead let them burry there. After all maliro nimaliro ndipo kwasila sazabwelela. If they also want to keep the body forever let them do so. Maliro niya banja.
And yes,HH shall soon be travelling to South Africa for a summit meeting.He will come back.Lungu will remain there