By Staff Reporter
The family of late former president Edgar Lungu has explained why the remains of late former president will not be repatriated to Zambia today.
Addressing Zambians from Pretoria, South Africa, the family of the late former president said the family found it difficult to believe that the government would stick to their end of the agreed position on the repatriation of Lungu’s remains.
Family spokesperson Makebi Zulu outlined the various deviations by the government from the agreed position with the family on the repatriation of the mortal remains and the funeral.
“For this reason and many more the family finds it very difficult to believe that the government would stick to their end of the agreement and have resolved sadly so that the mortal remains of president Edgar Chagwa Lungu will not return home today,” Zulu said. “It is our hope that someday his remains will be repatriated back home and buried.”
Zulu, who had earlier received the backing of Lungu’s elder sister Bertha on live video before the address, referred to the earlier agreed position between the family and the government that the mortal remains would be repatriated today.
But he said while it was agreed that the body would at all times lie in state at Lungu’s Chifwema residence, and that parties would jointly make decisions upon consultations, the family had noted with regret attempts to subvert the spirit of the agreement.
He said on June 16, 2025, the Road Development Agency (RDA) released a statement to the public that they would be carrying out repair works on the road from Crossroads until seven kilometers onwards, when the public was aware that that is the same road which leads to Chifwema.
He said it was also part of the agreement that at all times the body would be moving from Chifwema to Mulungushi Conference for purposes of body viewing, state funeral and burial service on June 23, 2025, however, the notice from RDA indicated that the road would be under maintenance.
Zulu said the family told Secretary to Cabinet Patrick Kangwa that they were uncomfortable of the works as they tended to go against the agreed position, and were told the works were suspended until further notice.
Zulu said on June 17, 2025, Kangwa issued another statement without consultation of government restricting people from receiving or witnessing the arrival of Lungu’s remains.
“And further no opportunity whatsoever was given to the family to indicate whom they wished to invite if at all the attendance was by invitation nor where they given a chance to say anything as regards the said invitation,” Zulu said, adding that when Kangwa was engaged he only stated that there were security concerns, “which concerns have not been stated to the family.”
He said the next thing was that there was a programme for the arrival of the body at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA), which suggested that upon arrival the body would be taken to a designated place for a Church service and thereafter would be received by President Hakainde Hichilema at the airport.
He said the same position was not agreed upon with the family, and when the same matter was raised with Kangwa, he said the programme was released in error as it was a draft and that the same would not have been released.
“Before long, yet another statement which was termed a combined programme was released which essentially contained the same but further went on to suggest that on Thursday the 19th of June 2025, President Hakainde Hichilema would lead the body viewing at Mulungushi International Conference Centre. This programme as well was arrive at without consultation with the family,” said Zulu.
Zulu’s address was preceded by remarks from Bertha, who in the presence of former first lady Esther, daughter Tasila, former Mines minister Richard Musukwa, former Lands minister Jean Kapata, former Religious Affairs minister Godfridah Sumaili, and the other mourners, said the family had now put everything in the hands of God on the next course of action over the remains of the former president, amid ongoing impasse with the government.
She said the family wanted to sit down to agree on what to do next rather than pulling each other with the government.
Bertha accused the government of continually changing goal posts, and wondering what else they expected the family to do.
She said she had therefore empowered family Zulu to speak on behalf of the family to the Zambian people, stressing that he was not speaking on his own behalf.
