Keypoints:
- Hichilema ends extended mourning for late president
- Lungu’s body remains in South Africa after dispute
- Family accuses government of reneging on agreement
ZAMBIAN President Hakainde Hichilema has officially cancelled the extended national mourning programme for former president Edgar Lungu, following a standoff with Lungu’s family over funeral arrangements.
The mourning period, which initially ran from June 8 to 14, had been extended to June 23 after a government-family agreement was reached. The deal included repatriation of Lungu’s body from South Africa, public viewing in Lusa
ka, a national funeral service, and burial.
However, the late president’s family announced on June 19 that the government had reneged on the agreed plan, resulting in the cancellation of the repatriation and burial events.
Lungu’s family: ‘We hope he’ll be buried someday’
Lungu died in Pretoria on June 5, 2025, at the age of 68 while receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness. Plans for his return and burial in Zambia had been finalised until tensions resurfaced this week.
Speaking at a press conference, Lungu’s relatives accused the government of failing to honour funeral commitments. A family spokesperson said, ‘We hope his remains will be repatriated someday and buried in Zambia.’
President Hichilema, responding to the impasse in an address to the nation on June 19, said the country could not remain in a perpetual state of mourning.
‘We have done everything possible to engage the family of our departed sixth republican president. And we have reached a point where a clear decision has to be made,’ Hichilema said. ‘As of the end of today, June 19, 2025, this particular national mourning period is officially over.’
Political legacy adds tension to burial row
Lungu served as Zambia’s sixth president from 2015 until his defeat by Hichilema in the 2021 general election. Their political rivalry was well-known, and tensions between the two camps have persisted since the transition of power.
Members of Lungu’s family, including his widow Esther Lungu, are currently facing corruption-related court cases—adding further political strain to an already sensitive funeral process.
Hichilema emphasised that the former president ‘belongs to the nation of Zambia’ and deserves a state burial with full honours. However, the dispute has left the country without a clear path forward regarding Lungu’s final resting place.
Zambia looks to move on
With the cancellation of the mourning period, Zambia begins to return to regular national life, even as the question of where and when Lungu will be buried remains unresolved.
The government has not announced any new plans or timeline for further
engagement with the late president’s family. As the deadlock continues, it remains unclear whether Lungu’s funeral will be rescheduled or indefinitely postponed.
