Family feud forces Zambia’s ex-President Lungu to be buried in South Africa

What was expected to be a dignified farewell to Zambia’s former President Edgar Lungu has turned into a diplomatic and political standoff, ending with his burial being moved outside the country he once led.

Lungu, who died earlier this month in a South African hospital from an undisclosed illness, will not be laid to rest in Zambia. Instead, his family has chosen to bury him in South Africa, citing a deepening rift with the Zambian government over funeral arrangements.

At the heart of the feud is the family's demand that President Hakainde Hichilema, Lungu’s longtime political rival, stay away from the funeral. The dispute has derailed efforts to repatriate Lungu’s body and bring the nation together in mourning.

Makebi Zulu, the family’s lawyer and spokesperson, said the private burial in South Africa honors the wishes of the late president’s relatives.

“We especially thank the South African government for respecting the family’s decision,” Zulu said.

In response, President Hichilema announced the cancellation of Zambia’s previously declared 16-day national mourning, stating in a televised address that “our country cannot afford a state of indefinite mourning.”

“We did everything possible to engage the family,” Hichilema said, adding that a final decision had to be made for the sake of national stability.

Lungu, 68, served as Zambia’s sixth president from 2015 to 2021 and remained a powerful political figure even after losing to Hichilema. Their bitter rivalry included a 2017 treason charge against Hichilema, and more recently, accusations from Lungu’s family that the government tried to block him from seeking medical treatment abroad—an allegation officials deny.