Written by Lisa Murimi
The death of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu has sparked national mourning—and political chaos.
Lungu, who led Zambia from 2015 to 2021, died last Thursday in South Africa aged 68, following treatment for an undisclosed illness.
His passing has triggered a wave of grief across Zambia, with gospel music playing on radio stations and people gathering to pay respects. But plans for his funeral remain mired in dispute.
A tense standoff has emerged between Lungu’s family, the government, and his political party, the Patriotic Front (PF).
While the government declared a seven-day mourning period and planned a state funeral at a government-owned lodge in Lusaka, the PF rejected the arrangements, urging mourners to gather at its party headquarters instead.
Lungu’s family, while not opposed to state honours, insist they must have a say in the ceremony and in the officials presiding over it.
“The state was saying, ‘We’re taking over from here’—as if the family had no say,” said family lawyer Makebi Zulu.
Confusion has also reigned over condolence books, with the government and PF each launching separate versions.
A memorial service held in Pretoria, South Africa, saw Lungu’s widow and daughter attend, but his body was not repatriated as scheduled, due to ongoing negotiations.
Accusations from PF leaders that Lungu was denied timely access to overseas medical care have further strained relations with President Hichilema’s government, which denies any wrongdoing.
This echoes previous posthumous disputes in African politics, including the burials of Zambia’s first president Kenneth Kaunda and Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe.
With no clear agreement yet in place, Zambia remains a nation in mourning—but also in limbo—over how to bid farewell to its sixth president.
