Ex-President Edgar Lungu to be buried in South Africa as family snubs State Funeral in Zambia
The announcement marks a dramatic rupture with Lusaka, where President Hakainde Hichilema's administration had prepared for a state funeral with full honours.
Former Zambian President Edgar Lungu will be laid to rest in South Africa and not in his home country, Zambia.
In a statement on Friday, his family confirmed that the burial will be held privately, making Lungu the first foreign head of state to be interred in South Africa.
More To Read
- Zambia ends national mourning amid funeral impasse with former President Lungu's family
- South Africa's EFF leader Julius Malema denied visa, banned from UK over 'extremist' views
- Zambia: Edgar Lungu's family halts return of his body from South Africa
- Edgar Lungu to receive state funeral next Sunday as family, government resolve dispute
- Tug of grief: Family, party and state clash over final farewell for Zambia’s Edgar Lungu
- Zambia's former President Edgar Lungu dies at 68 in South Africa
The announcement marks a dramatic rupture with Lusaka, where President Hakainde Hichilema's administration had prepared for a state funeral with full honours.
Tensions between the two sides have simmered for years, shaped by a bitter rivalry, competing narratives of legacy, and lingering accusations of political harassment.
Lungu defeated Hichilema in the disputed 2016 presidential race, and a year later, Hichilema was jailed for four months, accused of treason for failing to give way to Lungu’s motorcade. The two never reconciled.
In 2021, Hichilema turned the tables with a landslide win. But the animosity lingered. Lungu maintained a strong political presence, frequently accusing the administration of restricting his movements and using state machinery to intimidate him. His family later claimed the government initially blocked his medical evacuation to South Africa, an allegation denied by authorities.
Following Lungu’s death, both governments agreed on a repatriation plan. Pretoria had prepared full military honours, and Lusaka extended its mourning period by nine days. But on June 18, the family reversed course, declining to release the body. Caught off guard, President Hichilema announced an end to the national mourning and apologised to South Africa for the diplomatic embarrassment.
“Our country cannot afford a state of indefinite mourning,” Hichilema said in a national address, urging a return to normalcy while reiterating the government’s commitment to engage the family.
Top Stories Today
