Ask for mercy, keeping Lungu in mortuary for a year, has spiritual implications on Zambia, says Sumaili
REVEREND Godfridah Sumaili says it was painful to see the Edgar Lungu family mourn the demise of their dearly departed loved one and at the same time seeing the late President’s children being dragged to Court.
And Sumaili, a former minister of religious affairs says the decision by Government not to appeal the South African Supreme Court of Appeal’s decision to entitle the Lungu family rights over remains and burial of late President is expected of a government.
Speaking on Crown Television’s, Spotlight, hosted by Seidlitz Nkhonjera and Alfred Chimba, last evening, Sumaili said although the Country had a national mourning last year, Zambians have continued to mourn, a year after President Lungu’s death, on June 5, 2025.
“Not only Mama Esther Lungu who has been affected by this delay in the burial, of our late President, it is the entire Nation. Although we had a national mourning and it as stopped, the people of Zambia have continued to mourn.
“So, we are happy hat this matter is coming to a closure and our prayer is that we can see healing. Healing on the family of our late President but also the government to let go and see how they can help this family to heal and to settle,” Sumaili says.
She adds: “It has been very painful to see that the family is mourning and at the same time, children are being pursued for cases and whatever has been going on in the courts.”
She says there is a need to forgive one another and move on.
“It has been a very difficult time for the family. But as I am saying, we need to forgive, we need to start healing and we need to move on,” she says.
She dispels assertions that the family wants to bury President Lungu in South Africa.
“To say the family wants to bury our late President in South Africa, is an assumption. The judgement came out today, and the family has to sit down.
“What the judgement has said, is that the matter is in the hands of the family, who have to decide, how they want to bury the late President and how they want to do it, where and when, it is all up to the family,” says Sumaili.
She says Zambia has been affected by not burying Lungu a year after his death.
She says not having buried Lungu a year after his death has spiritual implications as he was the father of the nation.
“You know this is unprecedented. This has brought so much shame to our country. But also, there are spiritual implications; he was the father of he nation, what have we done to our father?” Remarks Sumaili.
©TV Yatu | David Kashiki | June 24, 2026.
What a hateful thing to suggest. Who kept Lungu in the mortuary for a year? Due process. This kind of shallow thinking is what keeps us under developed. Now that that process is exhausted. The state has said it will not persue the issue further. Did the state say lets discuss? Madam you are no position to call yourself a preacher of God’s word.
This Reverend doesn’t know what she is talking about. God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). You go first. Ask for mercy for all the innocent people who were shot dead or butchered with machetes under your watch, as a spiritual advisor to a brutal regime that was PF. We have all fallen short of the glory of God, and Lungu was no exception. Being surrounded by politically-inclined religious leaders like you, Mum, is why Mr Lungu turned out the way he did. Your double standards will not take you anywhere. As a pastor, you could have been a prophetic voice even to HH, but alas, you have rejected one for the other; what a shame. God called you to make disciples, but you have obviously strayed from that commission to worship the creature, rather than the creator! Mum, be the first one; lead your PF cohort into repentance for deifying a creature, rather than the creator. Go on, search your heart; you were quiet when Mapenzi and the others died, blinded by a salary from the state – a fleeting reward, a paid Levite. God cannot be mocked (Galatians 6:7).
Which Zambians are mourning? What spiritual implications? Talk sensible things. The bugger is dead, just bury him, stolen taxpayers’ property must be pursued.
What spiritual implications?Do not fool people,you like deceiving people.Just bury him,some of us already buried our parents why cry over Ba Lungu over and over aweeee….