President Hakainde Hichilema has confirmed that the Zambian government is in active discussions with the family of former President Edgar Lungu regarding his burial in Zambia following months of dispute over the late leader’s final resting place.
Speaking at State House on Monday following a meeting with Zimbabwe’s Second Vice President Kembo Mohadi, Hichilema said a Zambian government delegation is currently in South Africa engaging the Lungu family.
He reiterated his government’s desire to see the sixth president laid to rest in his homeland alongside Zambia’s other former heads of state.
Hichilema said his administration is open to support from regional partners to help bring the matter to closure.
Lungu died in South Africa on 5 June while receiving medical treatment.
His death has since sparked a protracted legal and political standoff between his family and the Zambian government.
The family has insisted on a private burial in South Africa, citing the late president’s alleged wish to exclude Hichilema from the funeral proceedings.
The government, however, maintains that Lungu should be accorded a state funeral and buried at Embassy Park, the official burial site for Zambian presidents.
The dispute escalated into a court battle in Pretoria where a ruling in favour of repatriation was later appealed by the family.
The matter is now pending before South Africa’s Constitutional Court.
Tensions between Lungu and Hichilema date back to the former’s presidency, during which Hichilema was detained on treason charges in 2017.
Since Hichilema’s election in 2021, members of the Lungu family have faced corruption investigations, which they claim are politically motivated.
Church leaders and civil society groups have called for restraint and dialogue, urging both parties to respect the dignity of the office Lungu once held and the wishes of his family.
JN/APA