BRIDGING THE DIVIDE
….a Path to Dignified Closure for Former President Lungu
Lusaka… Monday August 11, 2025
The ongoing dispute surrounding the burial of the late former President Edgar Lungu has captivated and divided the nation. Recent remarks by State Counsel M. Kabesha during a ZNBC interview have further highlighted the chasm between the government and the Lungu family, raising serious concerns about the prospects for a peaceful and dignified resolution.
In the interview, SC Kabesha’s responses, particularly his charged tone and defensive posture when he was asked if the government would seek forgiveness from the Lungu family, seemed to underscore the deep-seated animosity between President Hakainde Hichilema and the late former president. His counterclaim about President Hichilema’s past treatment while in opposition, though a matter of public record, was perceived as ill-timed and unhelpful in the context of mourning a national leader.
Furthermore, the implication that the government could proceed with a burial without the family’s presence created a chilling vision of a national funeral devoid of familial comfort and unity. It was also noted that, according to SC Kabesha, President HH did not indicate that he wanted to see the body of the former president.
These statements, in conjunction with derogatory remarks attributed to some UPND officials and operatives, have exacerbated the rift and made it difficult for the two sides to engage in a constructive dialogue. On the other hand, the Lungu family has been consistent in its demand that President Hichilema not be directly involved in the funeral arrangements, citing the historical tensions and their belief that this was the late president’s wish.
Given this impasse, a path forward is urgently needed to ensure the late president is buried with the honor and dignity he deserves, and that his family and the nation can find closure. The most empathetic and compassionate action, and one that could serve as a powerful “tie-breaker,” would be for President Hichilema to formally delegate the role of presiding over the funeral to the Vice President. This move would honor the Lungu family’s consistent request while still upholding the state’s obligation to provide a dignified state funeral.
By acting as the “big brother” in this sensitive matter, President Hichilema would demonstrate statesmanship and a willingness to transcend past political rivalries for the sake of national unity and a respectful final farewell. This gesture would not only be a mark of respect for the Lungu family and the deceased but also a powerful act of leadership. It would ensure that the former president’s remains are brought home and laid to rest in an atmosphere of peace and dignity, a far more desirable outcome than a burial without the presence of his loved ones.
This proposed course of action is not an admission of wrongdoing but an act of grace and national healing. It respects the protocols of a state funeral while simultaneously acknowledging the very real emotional and personal dynamics at play
Ultimately, this approach offers a clear and constructive way to resolve the arguments and move forward, allowing the nation to mourn a former head of state with the respect and unity that a moment of national mourning requires. This solution is consistent with Zambian values of compassion and reconciliation and is in no way violative of any laws.
The Struggle Continues
Sensio Banda
Former Member of Parliament
Kasenengwa Constituency
Eastern Province
Why would you want the president to accept the lungu requirements and not the other way round. HH representing the state zambia, to give in on behalf of 20 million to 60 individuals of lungus. I think the suck is not actually the lungus it’s the politicians that are misleading Esther and her child that if they use the corpse they ll rewin elections and all her I’ll gotten wealthy will be safe, and that president would be tasila.
It’s only respect when HH backs off and not the other way round. Lungu mistreated HH while in opposition and we all know it’s the rules of the game in politics and Lungu was in politics which was his choice, but why do you think he should have been spared from following the rules of the same game which rules he subjected his friend. Bemba people say, “Akatanshi takalisha lelo akalekelesha”, Kambwili once warned the deceased using this saying, and you sensio Panda pretends you don’t remember it. Let the family accept it was the game the man chose even to die in the battle front, the reason he never relinquished the mantle. So if politics kill then he killed himself by his choice. How possible do you think it would be for him to fight his friend when he had the power in his hands and continue fighting him even when he no longer had any, quite impossible.
HH withstood the ruthness of Lungu while in opposition, but before we could see HH exerting the same kind of ruthness even to the extent of putting him in a cell just for an hour, God says you played your part already come and rest and you people are busy suggesting bridging a gap, no man has power to bridge a gap which God decides to create. Let’s accept the truth, Lungu started and inflated the enmity between the two, what you think HH failed to do Lungu was the first one to fail because he too had every opportunity which HH has today and didn’t do anything of good sense but kept on wanting to show he was still a powerful man instead of bridging the gap he had created. Unfortunately he has managed to recruit the family in personal hatred for a man who should have been a political enemy only.
There is nothing dignified about LUNGU
The man was a thugh and rotten to the core.
The most corrupt president yet
May he rot in hell with Nawakwi
And BTW he is also an effing chikala
Why is this family keeping changing goal posts and blaming the other side? What are they hiding?
Banda or whoever you lets respect the office of the president which Lungu once held.No one has the legal or moral right to chase away a sitting President from a State funeral, it is not only unconstitutional but undermines national decorum and the dignity of public office.Any funeral of a former Republican President, is a State function, not a private family affair.HH represents national unity, not your personal opinion.National unity should never be compromised by your narrow political interests or misinformation.Lets respect the president.Where in this world have you ever heard of a state funeral without a sitting President? Don’t insult the office please.You are the few people misleading the family and the country
Why is it that it is only HH who is required to give in at every turn?
This sense of entitlement is sickening.