The Passing of Edgar Lungu Former Zambian President: A Funeral Entangled in Politics and Private Wishes

 Former Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu passed away on June 5, 2025, at age 68 in Pretoria, South Africa, after complications during surgery for a rare esophageal condition.  In keeping with protocol, President Hakainde Hichilema declared an initial seven-day national mourning period—from June 8 to 14—which was later extended to 16 days as the government planned for a state funeral and repatriation to Embassy Park in Lusaka .

However, the process quickly became strained by a deep dispute between the Lungu family (and the Patriotic Front party) and the government. Central to this feud was the family's insistence that President Hichilema not attend the funeral—a clear outcome of long-standing political rivalry  The family accused the government of excluding them from planning and undermining Lungu’s dignity in death, with reports that hospital staff were pressured to withhold documentation . Vigils in Pretoria saw PF members express grief and outrage, with emotional speeches lamenting perceived mistreatment. 

Repeated delays in repatriation ensued—first last weekend, then again mid-week—as negotiations broke down  On June 19, President Hichilema formally ended the national mourning, lamenting that Zambia could not remain in a perpetual state of grief Two days later, on June 20, the Lungu family announced that he would be buried privately in South Africa, with support from that government.

This unfolding saga reveals a tragic intersection of personal wishes and partisan politics. It poses profound questions about national unity, respect for state traditions, and how democracies reconcile private grief with public protocol. Lungu’s final journey—far from home and amid bitter conflict—underscores the complexities that arise when deep political divides linger even in death.