🇿🇲 BRIEFING | Lungu Postmortem Claim Emerges Amid Silence from Authorities
A new and highly sensitive claim has surfaced in the ongoing dispute surrounding the remains of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, with family spokesperson Makebi Zulu stating that a postmortem has been conducted on the late leader’s body in South Africa.
Zulu made the revelation in a video now circulating on social media platforms, including Sun TV, asserting that the South African Police Service took custody of the body on Wednesday as part of an investigation into what he described as a possible murder.
According to his account, the development forms part of a broader inquiry that has been underway since earlier this year, during which five members of the Lungu family were reportedly questioned by South African authorities.
“The police have conducted a postmortem,” Zulu stated, without providing further medical or forensic details.
At this stage, however, there is no independent confirmation.
Neither the South African Police Service nor any official authority in Pretoria has issued a public statement verifying the existence of such an investigation or the conduct of a postmortem. The Zambian government has also remained silent on the matter, despite earlier confirming through Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha that the remains had been transferred into state custody following a High Court ruling.
The absence of official communication has created a vacuum now being filled by speculation.
Reports carried by local outlets, including Kalemba, indicate that follow-ups are being made to establish the authenticity and scope of the alleged postmortem, while reactions within Patriotic Front-aligned circles have quickly escalated, with some supporters advancing unverified claims around ritual activity and foul play.
Those claims remain unsupported by any forensic or institutional evidence at this time.
This development comes against the backdrop of an already complex legal and political standoff.
Only days earlier, the Zambian government executed a standing South African High Court judgment granting it authority over the remains, a move that triggered competing narratives from the family and opposition figures.
Subsequent urgent court applications and interim orders have further complicated the situation, leaving the matter active before the courts.
The introduction of a possible criminal investigation, if confirmed, would significantly alter the trajectory of the case.
For now, the key facts remain limited to Zulu’s statement and the circulating video. Without corroboration from South African law enforcement or medical authorities, the claim of a postmortem and the suggestion of a murder investigation, must be treated with caution.
The situation remains fluid, with multiple layers of legal, diplomatic, and now potentially criminal dimensions unfolding simultaneously.
Further updates are expected as authorities respond and verification emerges.
© The People’s Brief | Staff Reporter