The Patriotic Front has urged President Hakainde Hichilema to abandon ongoing court processes and re-engage in dialogue to resolve the prolonged funeral and burial impasse of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, warning that the continued delay is setting a “dangerous precedent” for the nation.
The Lungu family does not seek validation from State House. They do not seek reconciliation ceremonies. They seek space. They seek quiet. They seek to lay their husband and father to rest without the shadow of power hovering over the grave. That is not bitterness. That is humanity.
“My heart is in pain,” Mwamba said, noting that seven months had passed since President Lungu’s death without closure for his family or the nation.
A Commentary by Brian Matambo | 3rd January 2026 There are moments in a nation’s life when clarity is demanded, not diplomacy. This moment that Zambia finds herself in is one of them. To suggest that Archbishop Alick Banda is an “ordinary man” is not merely an error of judgment. It is a failure to...
The fact that the death certificate showing the certified cause of death is already in the public domain further disqualifies the Zambian Government from claiming any basis for investigations or continued interference in the custody of the remains.
The statement also condemned online attacks against Archbishop Alick Banda, the family’s chosen mediator, accusing government-linked individuals of spreading falsehoods that have delayed mediation talks.
Too many calories, too much visceral fat, and constant exposure to processed foods keep the body in a state of inflammation.
The judgment also misrepresented Zambian law. There is no statute prescribing how former presidents must be buried. The court’s reliance on the notion that Zambia has legal authority over Lungu’s burial is entirely baseless.
Burial is not just protocol. It is intimacy, culture, faith. It belongs first to the family. To deny them this right is to wound them a second time.