HH’S ATTACKS ON LATE PRESIDENT LUNGU RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT GOVERNMENT’S INTENTIONS
By Brian Matambo – Lusaka, Zambia
The family of the late former president Edgar Chagwa Lungu has accused President Hakainde Hichilema of dishonouring the memory of his predecessor through false accusations and disparaging remarks, warning that such conduct undermines the environment for genuine negotiations over the burial dispute.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday, family spokesperson Makebi Zulu said the Constitutional Court’s decision to reject direct access meant that the appeal process over Lungu’s burial must first proceed through the Supreme Court of Appeal in Pretoria. While reaffirming the family’s legal strategy, Zulu drew attention to remarks by President Hichilema that the family views as an attack on the late leader’s legacy.
Speaking on the Copperbelt on 24 August, President Hichilema alleged that there had been resistance in handing over power in 2021. The family dismissed this as a distortion of history, pointing to Lungu’s public concession speech at the funeral of PF leader Jackson Kungo, where he said he had declined pressure from within his party to challenge the results and had committed himself to a smooth handover of power.
“The former president was a democrat who willingly handed over power to President Hichilema,” Zulu stated. “It is important that the truth is upheld, because President Lungu cannot speak for himself.”
The family also pushed back against suggestions made in the past by Hichilema that Lungu may have been linked to alleged assassination attempts against him. Zulu said the innuendo was unfounded and deeply unfair to a leader who had already been laid to rest in private life before his passing.
Analysts say the accusations and counter-statements highlight the political undertones surrounding the burial dispute, which has seen the Zambian state demand custody of Lungu’s remains while the family insists on retaining control. While the government has indicated willingness to negotiate through Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa, the Lungu family argues that continued hostile rhetoric from the ruling party and the president himself shows that sincerity is lacking.
“The environment for negotiations can only be credible if deliberate and genuine steps are taken to rebuild trust,” Zulu said, stressing that Section 18(1) of the South African Superior Courts Act ensures the family’s appeal remains active and the status quo is preserved.
The standoff has deepened public scrutiny of how Zambia treats its former presidents in death. By directly challenging Lungu’s democratic credentials and associating him with violence, critics argue President Hichilema risks reinforcing perceptions that his administration has little intention to honour the former head of state.
For now, the family says it will continue to assert its rights in court while urging decency, sincerity, and respect as the nation confronts a sensitive chapter in its political history.