THE LUNGU FAMILY NEEDS CLOSURE RIGHT NOW BY BURYING IN ZAMBIA – NOT WAIT UNTIL 2026; THOUGHTS ON HOW TO END THE IMPASSE.
BY Dr Yobert K. Shamapande
Fellow Zambians: the country faces a monumental challenge – our 6th former president Edger Chagwa Lungu (ECL) is about to be buried in South Africa, away from his native homeland and the people he led for 7 years. This means that all that Zambia has stood for as a society, as the centre for peace and stability, and as the paragon of moral virtue in the region is now at stake.
It’s deeply troubling, and a time to speak out!
However, it is not too late to help the family out and reverse this terrible situation since the South African authorities have not yet publicly committed themselves on the matter.
Obviously, the Lungu family is grief-stricken and making difficult decisions under the intense fog of deep pain and desperation. But they will struggle mightily to find peace and closure after burying former president Lungu in South Africa while returning home without him. Their pain and sense of loss will only deepen and become more intense.
But there must be a way out. Below are my thoughts about how to help that family and end this unfortunate impasse:
First, remove all politics from this funeral saga. All this PF political declarations that “Lungu’s body to be repatriated immediately HH loses power in 2026 “ are just that, political gimmicks, speculative electioneering, that fail to address the family’s deep pain or their immediate best interests. Just as the PF’s meaningless declaration of seven days of national mourning was equally a hollow gesture, political gimmick when everybody knew that to be squarely a statutory government responsibility.
All political parties should take a back seat – to family and government — on this important national issue. This is the first time in Zambia that the funeral of a president or former head of state has been so politicized and subjected to a three-polar decision-making — the family, government, and the PF political party. Usually, that has been the province of only the family and sitting government.
And we have had clear precedents to draw on.
–When former president Frederick Chiluba passed on in June 2011, his political party the MMD (which was also happened to be in power at the time) did not declare seven days of national mourning nor get entangled up in his burial arrangements. Those matters were left entirely to the family and the state institutions.
— Further, after former founding president Kenneth Kaunda (KK) died in June 2021 (when PF under ECL was still in power), his party UNIP, did not get involved in declaring 21 days of mourning or other funeral issues. It was strictly a family and PF government matter. State institutions also overruled KK’s family concerning his personal will to be buried along side his late wife of 67 years mama Betty Kaunda.
–Similarly, following the death of former president Rupiah Banda (RB) in March 2022 (while UPND under Hakainde Hichilema was in power) the handling of his funeral fell to his family and the government, and all sailed through smoothly. RB’s political party, the MMD, never interfered in any way. And we hear that RB facilitated his own funeral by leaving clearly written burial instructions or guidelines.
So, why has ECL’s funeral suddenly turned into a confusing political football of scoring points and electioneering?
That brings me to my second point: faithfully honour ECL’s written Will, if one exists. What did he write about his funeral and burial? He was a political figure with patriotic instincts. I very much doubt he could have instructed to be buried in South Africa or elsewhere upon his death. At this critical hour, ECL’s own guidance would be indispensable to break this funeral logjam.
Finally, a last-ditch intervention. Since the relationship between the family and government has become toxic, it’s now time to salvage Zambia’s reputation. Dispatch to South Africa a non-government delegation comprising V J. Mwaanga— a seasoned diplomat who knows all the players there to attend to any remaining diplomatic wrinkles; Senior Chief Mumbi of Petauke – to appeal to the family’s cultural instincts and persuasions; and clergy, the Bishops – to prayerfully embrace the family, console their broken hearts and assure them that all will be well to repatriate their beloved Lungu’s remains back home.
And once the body is back home, it should be the mission of the clergy to guide the family throughout the funeral. Let them choose where they want to bury, either in Ndola, his birthplace or Petauke, his ancestral soil. As awkward and uncomfortable as it may be, President Hichilema can superintend this effort from a distance – allowing only two government institutions to play supportive roles: the Secretary to the Cabinet to provide logistics, and the military forces that must honour their former Commander-in-Chief no matter where he will be put to rest in the country.
Ultimately, this would be a win, win, win all around – the Lungu family will find peace and real closure; the sovereign State of Zambia will preserve its international and regional reputation intact; the Zambian people will remain standing tall as the proud paragons of ethical virtue. And Zambia will have met this moment once again – One Zambia, One Nation!
Water under the bridge. Not with hardliners like home affairs and media ministers advising HH. Too late now. First time seeing cadres of the party in power mock the dead. While you can’t injure a dead person the pain caused to the family is too much. HH & UPND are bad for politics. Toxic politics. KK’s warned us and his worries have come to pass.
The one who died was a politician and state actors are politicians, so the funeral will be political on any day. The same was with KK, and Mwanawasa. The fact that PF over ruled KKs family on the burial place of KK does not make it a law, that the state should be over ruling families. The family should be the final authority just like all funerals even if the person was a head of state. There was already a mistake of sending cadres to negotiate with the family and you are making the same mistake by mentioning another cadre in VJ. Let the family decide.
What pain, when the whole nation needs closure on this issue. This family is hiding too much, even the dissapearance to SA no one knew except them. This private thing is like concealing murder or elder abuse. That man was like a meal ticket for the whole family with cases to answer. Even you can’t explain what killed that man
What a litany of incompetence, arrogance, cover ups and deceit. My prayers go out to the Lungu family for the pain they have suffered. ECL died a neglected man and hearing GRZ officials lie about not denying him trips to seek medical attention when many circulars were sent is shocking. Only in Zambia a Christian Nation do we see such maloza. Hamba Kahle ECL. Your followers loved you.
You have been misled my dear. Lungu was free to move around as compared to when HH was in opposition.
He was threatened with jail if he dares go to church. Have we forgotten that? Lungu becomes the first former president to die with full immunity. You heard what the personal physician said. The family refused help. And here we are believing lies by Lubinda , the same chap who mocked he family of the late KK.
Oh noo , i emphatically disagree with the last paragraph… “Zambia as the paragon of moral virtue in the region” is most definitely not right.
We’re very sinfully and very morally stained as any other nation.Let’s not be self righteous ,that’s a sin in itself .
I think at this juncture govt must let go and let them do as they please. It is a pity that this issue has escalated beyond redemption. Whatever their motives for burying him in SA is their own making and we the Zambians must respect them. Govt has clearly shown the willingness to work with the family but the hidden hate and injuries seems too deep to ignore. MHSRIP
How can you say government has shown willingness to work with the family when it is the same government that abrogated the agreement with the family. Be fair to the family. You cannot continue demonising an innocent bereaved family.
You put a legal challenge stopping the family from burrying in South Africa and call it in public interest, the same public which you were stopping from going to the airport to receive ECLs remains. Just say you are doing this in your interest as the state. ECL was sick in SA for six months, you did not check on him even for one day, and the public must suddenly arise now in his death. Be fair to the country.
The Bishop who went to state house yesterday saying he has seen a lot that this government has done and even compatlring from the UNIP days, this Bishop needs to do a serious self introspection. In case he is not aware Zambia has the worst economy now since independence. Poverty is at its highest in this country. Free education has not solved any bread and butter issues. Economy is down 4 years down the line, the human rights report from the special rapoteur is out and has a glaring story, constitutional making is all over and not people driven and you go and utter such statements. Burial of a fomer President is in impasse because of government abrogating the agreement with the family and you go and praise. Bishop Mweenda must resign.
I like HH but truth be told the Presidential job is too big for him. The country is becoming more divided by the day, and it is the duty of the leader to unite the country. But maybe as others are advising, maybe changing the advisors would help him. He is a good person, it is just competence and capacity which he does not have. Look at just the many blunders he has made with his statements on the impasse over the burial of ECL. Not even a phone call to his sick friend for over six months and suddenly he wants to be the chief mouner, it never works that way ba Sir
Just the mention of VJ makes me sick you people the reason we are here because of these same people misleading HH lying to him for there belly and you want sympathy from the same poor people you are suppressing with stupid laws the country has lost direction and it is fair to say UPND government has failed and the sooner you accept it the better
HH listens to nobody except his own voice