A Humble and Compassionate Appeal to Mama Esther Lungu and the Lungu Family
Dear Mama Esther Lungu and the entire family of our late Sixth Republican President, His Excellency Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu,
I write this appeal with a heavy heart, with respect for your family, and with full recognition of the extraordinary pain you have endured since the passing of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
Mama Esther, before President Lungu belonged to the nation, he was your husband, the father of your children and a member of your family. No political office can take away that sacred relationship. Your grief deserves dignity, privacy and respect.
The events that followed his passing have undoubtedly added another burden to a family that was already mourning. A funeral should ordinarily be a time when people put aside their differences, comfort the bereaved and honour the life of the departed. Unfortunately, President Lungu’s burial became surrounded by disagreement, court proceedings and political controversy.
Now that the legal dispute has reached its conclusion, I humbly appeal to you, Mama Esther, and to the entire Lungu family to prayerfully consider whether the time may have come to bring our former President home to Zambia and allow him to finally rest in the land of his birth and the nation he once led.
I make this appeal not because the family has lost its rights. On the contrary, the family’s rights and authority concerning his burial should be respected.
Neither should bringing him home be interpreted as surrendering to anyone politically.
It could instead become an extraordinary act of grace, strength and national healing.
President Edgar Chagwa Lungu was not only a politician. He became the Sixth President of the Republic of Zambia and therefore became part of the history of our nation. Millions of Zambians, including those who supported him, opposed him or simply respected the office he held, may wish to see this painful chapter brought to a peaceful and dignified conclusion.
Mama Esther, I therefore respectfully appeal that discussions be considered under conditions that fully respect the dignity and wishes of the family.
The family should be able to determine the character of the funeral, participate fully in all decisions, and receive clear assurances that the burial will never become an occasion for political triumphalism, humiliation or confrontation.
If necessary, respected Church leaders, traditional leaders and other neutral national elders could facilitate dialogue so that the family and relevant authorities do not have to approach one another through political confrontation.
Scripture reminds us:
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” — Matthew 5:9
There comes a moment when even after great hurt, somebody must open a door through which reconciliation can begin.
Mama Esther and the Lungu family, perhaps history has now placed that difficult opportunity before you.
Should you decide to bring President Edgar Chagwa Lungu home, let Zambia receive him not as the property of a political party or government, but as a former Head of State and a son of Zambia returning home for his final rest.
And I equally appeal to the Government of the Republic of Zambia: should the family open that door, meet them with humility. There should be no political conditions, no triumphalism and no attempt to take away the family’s dignity. Any arrangement should be built upon mutual respect, written assurances, consultation and peace.
President Lungu has been gone for more than a year. The disagreements of the living should not continue indefinitely around the remains of the departed.
Let the family find comfort.
Let President Lungu find his final resting place.
Let Zambia find closure.
And perhaps, through this painful chapter, let our nation begin finding its way back to reconciliation.
With profound respect and Christian compassion,
Rev. Dr. Kelvin Mugala
Clergy and Advocate for Good Governance & Constitutional Rights
Let us stop drugging Government in the issues of the late former president. This case was decided and the family has all the right to burry him on the South African soil if they so wish or burry him home in Zambia and we shall join them in sending him off . Traditionally any one connected to a dead person is a MUKANFILWA, bound to respect the dead until buried. Look at the behavior of all those who are direct or indirectly connected to the former president at death. Their behavior has been very alkward. The lungu family needs spiritual cleansing if their lives have to normalize because they are carrying a curse from the treatment they have given the former president in death. I may sound offensive but the truth has to be told. Vengeance is for God but instead they have been used and used themselves as well to Avenge president HH.
The burial hinged on winning elections, that is why elections were a do or die battle for others. Now they have to ponder whether to wait five years and deploy more militia. They like it that way. Zambia will continue forward with or without the worst president ever (so far) being unburied.
There’s no burying of ECL in Zambia that will be against his wishes (Lungu) and that of the family. The Court of Appeal of South Africa had ruled in their favor so it was and still is for the Lungu family to proceed and bury the former Pres. ECL but have they buried him since they won the case why and why not..? Zambia needs to know and Malukula will now tell the nation if he ever saw the dead body of Lungu in the 2nd count.
This case was long settled in a court of law. The state has since moved on. The burial in Zambia was also tied to an electoral victory of Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu as heard at one of the campaign rally. Now that they lost the election, let’s wait and see what their next move will be. They are at liberty to bury him anywhere or in Zambia, that is their choice without military honours. This is an issue that should not deprive sleep any other person. It must be remembered that this burial issue embarrassed HH as a sitting head of state much as it did to many Zambians living abroad especially South Africa.
The Supreme Court of South Africa ruled in favour of the Lungu family over two months ago. However, the remains of the former President became a political football in the just ended high stakes presidential elections. If the Lungu family were serious about the dignity of the former president, they would have buried him immediately after the Supreme Court ruling. But no. They hoped the body would be part of the victory parade after the elections.
Now that the elections didnot go their way, what next? Please let the man rest. Over a year in suspended animation is too long.
After all, the Zambian government gave them the green light to bury in Zambia without any interference from it in any way.
Implement plan B since the election gamble didnot work out.