Mundubile Raises Alarm Over Lungu Remains, Calls for Accountability

🇿🇲 BRIEFING | Mundubile Raises Alarm Over Lungu Remains, Calls for Accountability

Tonse Alliance faction President Brian Mundubile has issued a strongly worded statement condemning what he describes as the “unlawful removal” of the remains of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu in South Africa, escalating political pressure around the already sensitive burial impasse.

In a press statement released on Wednesday, Mundubile expressed outrage, calling the development “a national embarrassment of the highest order” and “profoundly disrespectful not only to the late President, but to his family and to the people of Zambia.”

His remarks come amid competing narratives surrounding the movement of Lungu’s remains, with legal and political interpretations diverging sharply.

Mundubile anchored his argument on cultural and moral grounds, stating that “respect for the dead is one of the values that define us as a nation,” adding that any violation of that principle “under any circumstances” represents a serious breach of societal norms.

He further argued that the matter has now reached a threshold where silence is no longer acceptable, particularly where court processes are involved.

Citing what he referred to as a court-confirmed development, Mundubile demanded immediate clarity from authorities.

“Zambians deserve the truth. Not partial statements, not evasive responses. The full truth,” he said, while calling for “a full and transparent explanation,” identification of all actors involved, and accountability for any wrongdoing.

The Tonse Alliance faction leader also attempted to strike a balance between restraint and urgency, cautioning against politicising the issue while insisting it must not be trivialised. “This moment must not be politicised but neither must it be trivialised,” he stated, framing the situation as one that “strikes at the heart of our national character.”

His statement aligns with a broader opposition narrative that has emerged following reports—some contested—about how the remains were transferred.

Meanwhile, government has maintained that its actions were executed in line with a standing South African High Court judgment granting it authority over the remains after the family’s appeal process lapsed.

© The People’s Brief | Chileshe Sengwe