Burial Stalemate Deepens Over Former Zambian President Edgar Lungu More Than a Year After His Death
By TUW
The ongoing dispute surrounding the final burial of Zambia’s former President Edgar Lungu continues to stir political and public debate more than a year after his death on 5 June 2025 in Pretoria, South Africa. Despite a ruling from South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal favouring the Lungu family’s burial preferences, no final funeral arrangements have been confirmed.
Family representatives have now indicated that the burial may be postponed until after Zambia’s general elections scheduled for August. Those close to the family say there is growing confidence that the electoral outcome could influence the granting of a full state funeral with military honours.
At the centre of the controversy is family spokesperson and lawyer Makebi Zulu, who is also contesting political office as a running mate to Brian Mundibile under the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP), a breakaway faction linked to the former ruling Patriotic Front (PF). During a recent campaign rally, Mundibile urged supporters to back their party, arguing that doing so would ensure Lungu receives a full state funeral.
He further claimed that the decision to delay the burial was reached in agreement with the family, insisting that the former president deserved honours they allege were not fully granted under the current administration of President Hakainde Hichilema.
However, the decision to intertwine burial arrangements with electoral politics has sparked widespread criticism. Many observers argue that the prolonged delay risks politicising the legacy of the late president, with some suggesting it is being used to attract sympathy votes.
Zambia’s leading investigative publication, News Diggers, has also argued in commentary that the prolonged dispute appears driven more by political considerations than by the personal wishes of the late president.
Religious leaders have also weighed in. The Council of Churches in Zambia has condemned the situation, with Secretary General Fr James Phiri urging political actors to avoid using the former president’s death for campaign advantage and instead focus on national development issues.
The impasse continues more than a year after Lungu’s death, with the Zambian government previously stepping back from further legal escalation following the South African court ruling. Meanwhile, his remains are still reported to be in storage as negotiations and political disagreements remain unresolved.
