Zambia has been thrown into confusion and political tension following the death of former President Edgar Lungu, who led the country from 2015 to 2021. Lungu passed away last Thursday in South Africa at the age of 68 after receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness. But instead of unity in grief, a power struggle has emerged over how the late leader should be mourned and buried.
The government announced a state funeral, designating a lodge in Lusaka as the official venue for public mourning and opening an official book of condolence. However, Lungu’s party, the Patriotic Front (PF), rejected this plan, directing mourners to its headquarters instead and launching its own condolence book.
The late president’s family, while not opposed to a state funeral, insists on having a say in who presides over it. Their lawyer, Makebi Zulu, accused the government of attempting to take control without consulting the family, particularly in efforts to repatriate Lungu’s body from South Africa.
The situation mirrors previous posthumous disputes in Africa. In Zimbabwe, the burial of Robert Mugabe was marked by a prolonged standoff with his family, and in Zambia itself, the family of founding president Kenneth Kaunda contested his state burial site in 2021.
Tensions between Lungu and his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema, add a layer of political bitterness. The PF has accused the current administration of contributing to Lungu’s death by allegedly restricting his travel for medical treatment—an allegation the government denies.
While the government declared a seven-day mourning period starting last Saturday, the PF had already announced their own, leading to further confusion. A private memorial was held Tuesday in Pretoria, but the expected repatriation of Lungu’s body was postponed.
As of now, Zambia remains in limbo. The question of who controls the final rites for a former head of state his family, political party, or the government remains unresolved, leaving a grieving nation without clarity on how to honour one of its former leaders.
