Tricky demand stalls Lungu repatriation negotiations
TASILA Lungu and her family are allegedly holding back the body of former president Edgar Lungu until government agrees to drop all criminal charges against them, impeccable sources have whispered to Kalemba.
But the executive wing of government has put its foot down saying; the executive cannot interfere in the operations of the judiciary resulting in a stalemate.
The sources close to the tense negotiations between the Lungu family and the State have revealed that one of the conditions the former First Family is pushing for, before they can allow for the repatriation of Lungu’s remains for a state funeral, is a blanket dropping of all ongoing court cases involving the family.
At the helm of the Lungu camp is Chawama member of parliament Tasila Lungu, flanked by the family’s legal torchbearers, lawyers Jonas Zimba and family spokesperson Makebi Zulu.
Representing the government in the delicate back and forth discussions is former vice president Enoch Kavindele, former Secretary to the Cabinet Leslie Mbula and current Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa.
The demand comes against a backdrop of an avalanche of legal woes that have steadily engulfed nearly every member of the former president’s immediate family.
Tasila, the political face of the family, has been facing investigations over alleged acquisition of properties suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Her mom, former First Lady Esther Lungu and Chiyeso and Daliso Lungu, have also faced scrutiny over alleged possession of tainted property.
Chiyeso Lungu, a lawyer by profession, lost two properties, including a lucrative plot in State Lodge after the EFCC declared them proceeds of crime.
Her defence, which claimed the assets were gifts from her parents, was tossed out.
Then there’s Esther, the former First Lady, whose name features prominently in several forfeiture proceedings which include, a separate court case in which she is facing charges for theft of three motor vehicles, unlawful possession of US$400,000, and illicit acquisition of land.
On May 31, 2024, she was arrested and briefly detained for money laundering in connection to the 15 flats, before being released on bond.
Meanwhile, Dalitso Lungu, the former president’s son, has been staring down a potential forfeiture of a mind boggling array of assets of over 80 vehicles, 16 properties and an entire company, altogether valued at around K31 million.
The EFCC’s court case against him awaits judgment.
Following former president Lungu’s death in a South African hospital last week, the government declared a seven day national mourning period, expecting the body to arrive mid this week for a state funeral and burial alongside Zambia’s other late heads of state at the presidential burial site.
But the family threw a spanner in the works.
During a memorial service in Pretoria on Tuesday, family spokesperson Makebi Zulu stunned mourners by announcing that the body would not be arriving as scheduled and that a new date would be communicated.
Zulu said the family found it “difficult to engage” with the State on how the former president should be mourned.
He revealed that the family had already arranged for private repatriation of the remains in line with what they say were Lungu’s final wishes, including the wish that President Hakainde Hichilema should not be anywhere near the body.
He accused the government of shifting its position during discussions and undermining the family’s rights to oversee the funeral…https://kalemba.news/…/tricky-demand-stalls-lungu…/
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba,
Government must stop negotiating with tomb raiders in a country called kivukiland, because tomb raiders are like terrorists, and in America, government does not negotiate with terrorists
KALEMBA!!!!
The Lungu family know there is more stolen loot that will be uncovered now that the gatekeeper himself is not there to shield his crimes with presidential immunity. They are so desperate to protect the hidden loot, using a corpse as a bargaining chip does not fill them with shame. There must be serious crimes and substantial loot hidden by the immunity that protected the deceased.
This is a blatant and shameless attack on Zambia’s judicial system by a family of documented criminals. They have the audacity to feel entitled to what they stole and no sense of basic humanity in using a corpse as leverage to advance their criminal careers.
The solution is simple. We all know Zambia is their home. They will want to come back at some point. This is big time leverage.
So the State should say
1.) The corpse is yours to do with as you please. And given the bad faith you have demonstrated in the face of the patience and goodwill the government and people of the Republic of Zambia have extended to you, you can not under any circumstances bury the body any where in Zambia.
2.) You, the Lungu family that are currently in South Africa are all persona non grata to Zambia. Your court cases can not and will not be withdrawn. On the day you set foot in Zambia you will be arrested without bail until these court cases are disposed of.
3.) All properties in yowa names and the names of the deceased are forthwith and immediately forfeited to the State to be sold by the Administrator General and the proceeds of this sale distributed to areas and sectors of need as guided by the Office of the Vice President.
If someone brings a knife to the fight, there is every justification for you to bring a grenade launcher. It’s called fighting fire with even greater fire. Agreeing to their terms will simply set a bad precedent and essentially mean an entire government has had it’s arm twisted by criminals. Now that Lungu is no more, there is no longer a gate keeper to stop government investigators from looking for and sniffing out the stolen billions from which he lavishly gifted his offspring. Mark my words, they are afraid that the bigger chunk of what was stolen will now come to light.
Agreed 100%. If what the article alleged is true, this is the definition of insanity!
Dropping all criminal charges will NOT happen. If the Lungu family want to burry his mortal remains in South Africa or Mozambique, be it and let them go ahead. We Zambians will not like a compromised handling of these cases. We all know the kind of hooliganism that took place under Lungu’s watch. We all know the killings that happened. So what else? All their cases should remain active in our courts of law and dealt with accordingly, culprits prosecuted. Those advocating for dropping them are immediate beneficiaries of the same crimes and we will not relent in our collective resolve to see justice. Twalumba.
These are all lies by UPND. These people are certified liars, and always cause confusion. They just know how to cause divisions. KK knew what he was talking about when he warned us never to vote for Hakainde. Even Levy warned us about Hakainde that he is a serial liar. To save our country, we must vote these failures out of office.
Reject tribalism, corruption and oppression.
DO NOT BE FOOLED.
DO NOT BE A FOOL.
VOTE FOR CHANGE IN 2026.
So boss, what is your opinion of dropping criminal charges against Lungu family members? Tell us. I want to see something.
Boss, are you literate? Have you not read what I have written? The family have denied that they made this request. These are just lies from your party. By now, you should know that your leader is a liar. He is a divider.
Save your country by voting your relative out of office.
VOTE FOR CHANGE IN 2026.
I am 100% literate and 100% articulate. I am knowledgeable of everything that I put to you and so. You understand. Give me your opinion and we can start from there.
Amakays, you are treating on slippery ground and wasting your time, you will never win any sensible argument with this One, wakulekafye!!
I have said it before that PF was a bunch of mafia’s and now that their leader is gone they’re confused. They’re not mourning the loss of their master but worried because it’s now the end of PF. The family is equally shaken because all the stolen loot will be exposed and some may end up behind bars. When one is innocent why would you come up with such demands? Is this Justice? The world has truly shrunk for looters. It’s a dead end.
SHAME!
This is crooked if True.
Tempering with judicial proceedings and procedures.
Can you use dead body of your parent to gain favour… really?
Tell them they have to forfeit all properties and
All assets and cars if we have to drop all criminal charges.
THIS IS RIDICULOUS! WAS IT GHE FORMER PRESIDENT WHO WAS CHARGED?
THIS IS A CASE OF DISTIRTION AND I GUESS THAT LAWYER MAY BE RAW, THE READON WHY WE SAW ECL DIFILING THE CONSTITION AT WILL.
CAN THE PF STOP BEHAVING LIKE THE MAFIA THEY WERE WHILE IN GOVERMENT? ARE THEY BUYING TIME SO THEY COULD FIX THE LATE PRESIDENT’S LOOT?
ARE THEY TRYING TO EMBARASS THE CURRENT ZAMBIAN PRESIDENT?
ARE THEY TRYING TO WIN ZAMBIANS” SYMPATHY?
ZAMBIANS ARE WONDERING; WHAT RITUALS ARE FHEY TRYING TO DO, SINCE THEY SAY THEY ARE KNOWN TO EMBRACE WITCH CRAFT, ACCORDING TO THEIR HISTORY OF TRYING TO INTRODUCE A DEGREE IN WHIICHCRAFT AT UNZA?
HH FORGAVE THAT MAN A LONG TIME AGO BECAUSE HE NDVER ARRESTED THAT MAN A SINGLE DAY DESPITE THE URGLY THINGS HE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN AND STILL INTENDED TO DO ITO HH IF HE HAD WON THE 2021 ELECTIONS.
ANYONE WHO BELIEVES IN GOD MUST REALISE THAT GOD ALLOWS CERTAIN THINGS TO HAPPEN IN ORDER TO PROTECT HIS OWN CHILDREN.
SO, THIS SCENARIO IS YET ANOTHER REVELATION BY GOD TO SHOW ZAMBIANS THAT PF CAN NEVER CHANGE. THEY ARE A BUNCH OF EITHER DELINQUENT ADULTS OR SIMPLY BAD PEOPLE WHO CAN NEVER CHANGE. ‘ NIBA CHUMBU MUNSHOLOLWA’. AND THEY HAVE NO REMORSE.
USING A CORPSE TO ARMTWIST THE GOVERNMENT?
ALAMUPAMBA WEKAWEKA, A TABOO!
THIS IS RIDICULOUS! WAS IT THE FORMER PRESIDENT WHO WAS CHARGED?
THIS IS A CASE OF DISTORTION AND I GUESS THAT LAWYER MAY BE RAW, THE REASON WHY WE SAW ECL DEFILING THE CONSTITION AT WILL.
CAN THE PF STOP BEHAVING LIKE THE MAFIA THEY WERE WHILE IN GOVERMENT? ARE THEY BUYING TIME SO THEY COULD FIX THE LATE PRESIDENT’S LOOT?
ARE THEY TRYING TO EMBARASS THE CURRENT ZAMBIAN PRESIDENT?
ARE THEY TRYING TO WIN ZAMBIANS” SYMPATHY?
ZAMBIANS ARE WONDERING; WHAT RITUALS ARE THEY TRYING TO DO, SINCE THEY SAY THEY ARE KNOWN TO EMBARACE WICHCRAFT, ACCORDING TO THEIR HISTORY OF TRYING TO INTRODUCE A DEGREE IN WICHCRAFT AT UNZA?
HH FORGAVE THAT MAN A LONG TIME AGO BECAUSE HE NDVER ARRESTED THAT MAN A SINGLE DAY DESPITE THE URGLY THINGS HE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN AND STILL PROMISED TO DO TO HH IF HE HAD WON THE 2021 ELECTIONS.
ANYONE WHO BELIEVES IN GOD MUST REALISE THAT GOD ALLOWS CERTAIN THINGS TO HAPPEN IN ORDER TO PROTECT HIS OWN CHILDREN.
SO, THIS SCENARIO IS YET ANOTHER REVELATION BY GOD TO SHOW ZAMBIANS THAT PF CAN NEVER CHANGE. THEY ARE A BUNCH OF EITHER DELINQUENT ADULTS OR SIMPLY BAD PEOPLE WHO CAN NEVER CHANGE. ‘ NIBA CHUMBU MUNSHOLOLWA’. AND THEY HAVE NO REMORSE.
USING A CORPSE TO ARMTWIST THE GOVERNMENT?
ALAMUPAMBA WEKAWEKA – A TABOO!
It’s not the lungu family creating all this nonsense, but the PF cartel, of corrupt crooked swindlers. These are connmen, who probably went to the same school with the snake of the garden of Eden. They canningly convinced ba Edgar to leave his comfortable retirement quiet life to go back into active politics, so that they could continue syphoning monies from him. Now that he is nomore, they have turned to the family, with all their canning tricks. They have convinced members of the family to be used for their political strategies. One good thing is that the plans or syndicates of liars, thieves, crooked swindlers, and snakes don’t last long. They are easily known and motives interpreted. In all this nonsense of the burial delay, planners or syndicate architects are known, and motives are all known and well interpreted. Some objectives for all this nonsense are
1. To use the funeral for fund raising
2. To use the funeral for propaganda in order to disgrace president HH
3..To create some lies to portray that HH is a very cruel man, and hence try convince the world that the criminal cases that they have in courts of law are not real based cruelty persecution.
4. To blackmail the government so that criminal cases can be dropped for everyone.
5.To use the funeral for campaigns. Unfortunately citizens have now come to know the truth. In the end, only junkies shall be at their centers for the sake of food, that is if they will still have some more food to give out