Govt releases statement on repatriation of former President Edgar Lungu remains.
REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA
PRESS STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Government wishes to inform the nation that the remains of the Late Sixth President of the Republic of Zambia, Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, were not repatriated to Zambia today. We acknowledge that this is contrary to the previous announcement that the remains would be received in Zambia, today Wednesday, 18th June 2025.
This is not the outcome we sought. We acknowledge the disappointment this may bring to many, and we share in that sentiment.
Throughout this trying time, you, the Zambian people, have exemplified the core values that define us in our motto of “One Zambia, One Nation”.
Over the past two weeks, the Government of the Republic of Zambia has been fully engaged with the bereaved family of our late Sixth President, Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, to secure the dignified repatriation of his mortal remains from South Africa and the conduct of a State Funeral here at home. Government has also made efforts to engage the Government of the Republic of South Africa to assist with the repatriation of the remains of the late former Head of State through diplomatic efforts which resulted in the arrangement for military honours to be accorded at the send off ceremony of the late former President of the Republic of Zambia.
Despite the challenges encountered along the way, the discussions yielded significant progress. On Saturday, 14 June 2025, Government and family reached a common understanding, after which a joint press briefing was held in Pretoria on Sunday June 15, 2025. A detailed programme was then publicly announced by the family, outlining the arrival of the body in Lusaka on Wednesday, 18 June 2025, and the burial on Monday, 23 June 2025. In this same joint address, it was announced that the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema would superintend over the State Funeral, as Head of State.
The Government and the people of Zambia are as per our laws and tradition, on matters related to the handling of the affairs of a deceased related to the Republican affairs of our 6th Republican President still prepared to accord our former Head of State still the respect that is due to him as a former Head of State of this country. The State Funeral was to honour his services to this nation, and to accord the people of Zambia an opportunity to bid him farewell and a dignified funeral.
Nevertheless, Government remains open, and indeed committed, to re-engagement until an amicable resolution is achieved.
In that spirit, we are grateful for the continued mediation by senior church leaders who are faithfully serving as neutral facilitators between Government and the family. Their counsel and prayers are most welcome at this delicate hour.
The Government wishes to appeal to each one of us to remain calm, united, and prayerful. Let us avoid speculation, divisive rhetoric, or actions that may inflame emotions. Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu served this nation at the highest level. He deserves a final resting place marked by dignity, decorum, and national solidarity.
At an appropriate moment, the President will address the nation and provide further guidance. Until then, the Government will continue its consultations with the family, mindful of the need to accord our late former President the honour commensurate with his office and service.
May the Almighty God guide our deliberations, comfort the bereaved family, and bless the Republic of Zambia as we navigate this trying period together.
I thank you, and may God bless our great nation
Patrick Kangwa
SECRETARY TO THE CABINET
Released to the Media
18th June, 2025
What is there to talk about with the family? If they don’t want the government involved, allow them to proceed. They are becoming manipulative.
Just look into your selves ba gabament…and into the eyes of the MAN. The Mingalatoon .
The Agreement was made on 14th June 2025..and it was made public to us all. We all read the contents of the Agreement.
Then strange noises started coming from the gabament…goal posts started shifting… Agreed roads became construction sites…No debriefing at funeral home where the remains were to be kept…Then Secret List of Invitees at KKIA without consultation with family( Source: Family Rep) …A lock down at KKIA, to be strictly for Invitees… Public told to receive the remains on TV ( Source : Secretary to Cabinet) …then insertion of some strange Church Service at some place (when the agreed church service was for the Show grounds on 23rd June)… Thereafter a detour of remains to Mulungushi Conference Center, and not to family home as agreed.
Honestly who is at fault here? Who has abrogated the Agreement? Who is fooling who? Let us be sincere.
Imingalato is the problem here…The Problem is the Mingalatoon. It is all about him..He is the problem. And some one should tell him so.
Once the Agreement was made on 14th June, the Mingalatoon prematurely popped ‘ champagne ‘ , and went back to his old self – Imingalato , and goal posts started shifting! Had the remains come through yesterday, iam sure the Agreement could have been turned on its Head.
Let us be fair to the family!
I humbly submit.
So according to you,is it bad to maintain that dust road before hand?
Is it not okay to patch up the road before the arrival of the coffin which will be passing there twice a day.
Even in your village when someone dies, people clean up and widen up the road.
Well said coax. These bafoons can’t see any sense, because they use the defunct/defective binoculars of confused and greedy SG, nakachinda. The government should just let them do what they want to do with the over stayed corpse. Other wise you have done what you can but they have continued being incorrigible.
Just stop it! You can not negotiate with criminal thugs. They don’t care about anything including ECL’s body, the church mother bodies including embarrassing the SA government which is furious. These criminals have no capacity to honour anything just by the look of their demands. Stop wasting time with people who are busy practising politics of a dead corpse. Nothing can be worse than this. Now you need to send an emissary to the South African government. Just look at the people you’re negotiating with! They are manipulative, they lack ethic and credibility.
At first, I sympathized with govt and their efforts but at this juncture I say govt is showing weakness and poor leadership. They need to let go and allow the family to bury their dead. There is no law mandating govt to provide funds and or a state funeral. Equally there is no law prohibiting the family to bury their dead. So No state funeral. No govt funding. Both parties can’t eat and have the cake at the same time.
Lungu was a NASTY brutal president who with his criminal gang PF brutalised and terrorised the Zambian population for 7 years.
A person like him should NEVER have a state funeral.
We now have a situation where his family and his criminal gang (PF), has taken on the mantle of people who are entitled and are making ridiculous demands and trying to hold the government to ransom over the body of a miscreant.
The whole situation now is macabre and a sick joke.
I believe that the Lungu’s are having fun using Lungu’s body as bargaining chip and see the situation as a big game.
In my opinion there should have NEVER been a period of mourning declared, far less extending it, MOST Zambians are relieved to see that he is gone.
The most fitting burial for Lungu is an unmarked grave in the middle of nowhere.
HH needs to man up, the Lungu’s and PF are uncivilised and primitive and do not understand civility, curtesy, protocol and magnanimity. HH should now say to them take the body and go and do whatever you want with. (But he is too nice and is a gentleman)
If they want to do their own funeral, foreign dignitaries and diplomats should be barred.