Lusaka/Pretoria — June 20, 2025
In a move that has stunned both Zambia and the region, the family of former Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has announced that he will be buried in South Africa, sparking diplomatic and public debate over the unprecedented decision.
The ceremony, expected to draw African dignitaries and regional leaders, will mark the first time a former foreign head of state is laid to rest on South African soil, cementing what family insiders describe as “Lungu’s deep personal and political ties to the Rainbow Nation.”
The late president, who ruled Zambia from 2015 to 2021, reportedly expressed the wish to be buried in South Africa — a country he frequented during and after his presidency for medical checkups, personal reflection, and spiritual retreats.
“President Lungu loved South Africa. It was his second home, and we are fulfilling his wishes,” said family spokesperson and brother, Isaac Lungu, in a statement from Johannesburg. “We are not acting in defiance, but out of love and honor for the man we knew privately — away from politics.”
The announcement, however, has sparked backlash in Lusaka, with President Hakainde Hichilema’s government reportedly blindsided by the decision. State House insiders reveal that President Hichilema had offered full state burial honors in Zambia, even ordering preparations at Embassy Park, the official resting place for heads of state.
The Zambian government has yet to issue an official statement, but political commentators have termed the family’s move as “symbolic rebellion” against what they see as political tensions that remained unresolved between Lungu and his successor.
“This is bigger than a funeral,” said Zambian historian Dr. Mwaka Musonda. “It’s a quiet indictment of Zambia’s political climate — that a former president’s family chooses foreign soil over national honor speaks volumes.”
The burial is scheduled to take place at a private estate outside Johannesburg, with close family, select former African heads of state, and church leaders expected to attend. It remains unclear whether Zambia will send an official delegation.
If no Zambian delegation attends, it would be the first time in modern African history that a former president is buried outside his homeland without state recognition — an act likely to stir deep emotions and political ripples across the Southern African region.
As Zambia watches from a distance, one thing is clear: Edgar Lungu’s final journey will not only rewrite protocol — it will challenge history.
