President Hakainde Hichilem of Zambia has ended the national mourning period for his late predecessor, Edgar Lungu, amid a heated dispute over the latter’s funeral arrangements. The move comes after Lungu’s family blocked the repatriation of his body from South Africa, accusing the government of reneging on an agreement.
Since Lungu’s death in South Africa on June 5, the government and his family have clashed over how the former president would be laid to rest. An agreement for a private charter flight to return his remains on Wednesday, in time for a Sunday burial, ultimately fell apart. President Hichilema claims the family changed its position at the last minute, disrupting a planned send-off by the South African Defence Forces.
President Hichilema apologized to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and the South African people for the disruption. He justified ending the 16-day mourning period by stating that the country could not afford an “indefinite” state of mourning. “We have done everything possible to engage the family,” Hichilema said, adding that a decision had to be made to allow Zambia to “return to some normalcy.”
The relationship between Lungu, who served as Zambia’s president from 2015 to 2021, and Hichilema was marked by tension. Several members of Lungu’s family, including his widow, face ongoing corruption charges. Lungu unsuccessfully attempted a political comeback after his 2021 election defeat, a move thwarted by a Constitutional Court ruling deeming him ineligible to run again.
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Church Mediation Efforts Failed
Zambia’s church leaders have expressed concern over the funeral impasse and are attempting to mediate between the government and Lungu’s family. They urged both sides to find common ground and called for respect and unity during the mourning period, cautioning against “jokes and ridicule.”
“It is regrettable that the funeral of a former head of State remains in limbo. The state of uncertainty is affecting the general functioning of the nation, which remains in mourning. We, therefore, urge both the government and the Lungu family to find common ground in the spirit of mutual respect and national unity. The funeral period should be marked by respect for the deceased, unity and harmony. While the public has the right to express opinions, we caution against turning his solemn occasion into a subject of jokes and ridicule.” a statement from the church leaders said.
“Scripture reminds us that there is a time for everything, and clearly, this is a time for mourning and reflection”, they added.
Lungu’s family insists that President Hichilema’s government has violated agreements regarding the funeral, a situation that threatens to exacerbate political tensions as Zambia approaches its next presidential election.
The family’s mistrust deepened after Wednesday, leading them to question the government’s commitment to the agreed-upon funeral arrangements, pointing to their lack of involvement in the draft program. “We find it very difficult to believe that the government will stick to their end of the agreement”, the family said.
Southern African leaders, including Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa, have been unable to mediate a resolution between the family and the Zambian government.
Source: The EastAfrican
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