Hichilema Halts National Mourning Period for Edgar...

Hichilema Halts National Mourning Period for Edgar Lungu Amid Burial Standoff

Oscar J Jeke - Zim Now Reporter

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has officially ended the national mourning period for former President Edgar Lungu, citing an unresolved dispute with Lungu’s family over his burial and the refusal to repatriate his body.

Lungu, who served as Zambia’s sixth president from 2015 to 2021, died two weeks ago while receiving medical treatment in South Africa. While the Zambian government had arranged for his remains to be returned to Zambia on Wednesday for a state funeral, President Hichilema revealed on Thursday that the repatriation was blocked by the late leader’s family.

“The former President’s body was not availed by the family for repatriation,” Hichilema said during a briefing in Lusaka. “Our country cannot afford a state of indefinite mourning.”

The late president’s family has declined government involvement in burial arrangements, citing alleged instructions left by Lungu that specifically barred President Hichilema from participating in any part of his funeral proceedings. A family spokesperson claimed Lungu explicitly stated that “Hichilema should not be anywhere near his body.”

Despite this, Hichilema said he remains committed to dialogue, assuring visiting Zimbabwean Vice President Constantino Chiwenga that he will not exercise executive power to force a resolution. “We will not use the instruments of the presidency to coerce the family,” Hichilema said. “We will use dialogue.”

His government had planned a state funeral to honor Lungu’s legacy as a former head of state, and his passing had triggered a formal mourning period marked by flags at half-mast and national commemoration activities. However, the ongoing impasse has halted those efforts.

The Zambian government has not indicated whether a new date will be proposed for a memorial or whether Lungu will eventually be buried in Zambia. For now, the late president’s body remains in South Africa.

Hichilema urged Zambians to respect the former leader’s family and remain united despite the disagreement. “Let us mourn with dignity, even in the absence of finality,” he said.