BREAKING NEWS: LUNGU FAMILY GIVES AN UPDATE ON STALLED NEGOTIATIONS WITH GOVERNMENT
By Brian Matambo, Sandton, South Africa
15 October 2025
In a strongly worded statement delivered by Hon. Makebi Zulu, spokesperson for the Lungu family, startling revelations have surfaced accusing the Zambian government of interference and deceit in the ongoing burial dispute of the late former president Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
The family says that despite an agreement for mediation announced on 5 September 2025, the government secretly engaged in clandestine operations while pretending to act in good faith. Among the most alarming incidents was the hiring of a private investigator and plain-clothed police officers who allegedly tried to access the South African morgue where the late president’s body is kept.
According to internal morgue records, the investigator claimed to have been appointed by the Zambian government and sought to perform a post-mortem based on unverified social media rumours suggesting poisoning. The morgue refused the request, citing a court order preventing the release of the body.
When questioned by the family, Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa reportedly denied knowledge of the incident and refused to issue a written statement clearing the government of involvement, a move the family says deepened their mistrust.
In another twist, a group calling itself the Progressive Forces of South Africa filed a police report alleging President Lungu was murdered. The family has described the group as a front used to smear and vilify the late president, pointing to its past actions supporting the Zambian government in court proceedings.
The statement also condemned online attacks against Archbishop Alick Banda, the family’s chosen mediator, accusing government-linked individuals of spreading falsehoods that have delayed mediation talks.
Despite the provocations, Hon. Makebi Zulu affirmed that the Lungu family remains steadfast in ensuring that the late president is laid to rest with dignity, in accordance with his wishes.
“This darkest hour will pass,” the statement concluded. “We will not allow dignity to be buried alongside President Lungu.”
Take your corpse somewhere,we don’t need it.How special is it we have buried a lot of Zambians since June the 5th
For sure. Government SHOULD FORGET ABOUT and should come up STRONG AND ADVICE THE FAMILY TO BURRY RIGHT AWAY and RIGHT NOW. IF POSSIBLE let them BURRY TODAY.
Why does this family wants confusion??
“HE THAT DIGS HOLES FOR OTHERS, SHALL HIMSELF BE BURIED IN THEM”. -EDITH NAWAKWI.
https://youtube.com/shorts/VzqGgESyRHU?si=VzddTdXIORGoDEMh
VOTE FOR CHANGE IN 2026.
What we expected to hear was progress on the negotiations after all this time that has passed. These allegations do not help matters. And we hear of appeals to the Supreme Court. So, one gets the impression that nothing is happening until the Courts decide.
Very useless communique. Stupid Idiot. Is this the message you had for the Zambian public after all this long. Idiots. You better leave us alone, we have moved on. Remain with your corpse. But bring back our money. You will not rest until you bring back our money
@Camukanka for sure let them even burry. UPND government should leave this family and concentrate on other things!!! They Lost in court cases TWICE AND WHAT DO THEY WANT. LET BURRY ECL. We have MOVED on.
We’re not interested bury that plunderer wherever you want. Please stop issuing updates because we have moved on. Zambia is bigger than that body, you can all go to hell with your stupid attitude.
Dignity? What dignity is there after all that has transpired? Four months after his demise and the former president is yet to be buried and Mr. Makebi Zulu is talking about dignity!
Let the family be allowed to bury the Late President according to their wish.
The Burial place in South Africa is still there. It’s time to Let the family bury him in South Africa. No need for any prolonged Court cases.
Truth is like a Pregnancy. It will eventually show up. Even an abortion cannot be hidden. The traces show up.
For sure there’s something they are hiding. I THINK THE MAN’S FACE was disfigured due gun bullets.
What the Lungu Family does not realise is that this LAWYER has seen the opportunity to wipe their coffers clean.
Before they know it, all the money and properties will belong to him.
Open your eyes you who are held captive by this merciless lawyer. Ask other PF members who were offered what was termed ‘Nkani Za Chipani’ by the same lawyer and they will tell you how he flipped they are now paying through their noses.
Mzulu is playing politics but the government is quiet about it. I really don’t understand, why should the government be held at ransom? The government shouldn’t be acting as if it is on the pleading side. Please government this is politics at play it’s not a church service, act decisively.
Makebi Zulu’s display of ignorance is now at full display, from past judgements which are enforceable, it is very clear that government has been given authority over the body of ECL, therefore government have the power to do their own determination over the same body. For the family to treat government as nobodies over the body is total lack of respect for government and to some extent we can say that government has exercised a lot of restraint which is now being taken for weakness. To start bringing in the issue of a bishop who was in possession of stolen property that was done under the leadership of the deceased and who knows how to cuddle is a non-issue that has nothing to do with the burial of the deceased. Zulu must pray that their current attempt at court does not go against them because if it does, government must now not compromise but go full throttle to bury this wrangle. Government has been taken for a ride and they must now show that they have authority and their restraint has been taken for granted. Zulu must engage government, this idea of addressing the nation over an issue which is between government and the Lungu family is also not necessary and just shows how big headed he has become as he tries to gain cheap popularity for his own ends. Zambians are feed up with this issue and the best Makebi can do is leave us out of this issue and address government whom he seems to have issues with and not the people of Zambia. We are no longer interested. Burry your hatchet with government and stop bothering us by trying to keep us awake to listen to this stale issue. Government must now pull rank and show Makebi that they are in charge. His propensity to address the nation instead of the party to the impasse which is government is one way of championing his childish smear campaign which should not be tolerated. Now he feels each time he can just wake up and congregate the nation over a stale issue, enough is enough, government should put its foot down. Can’t you see what Makebi is doing?????