SHAPING THE NARRATIVE: HOW THE LUNGU FAMILY CAN WIN IN COURT AND IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION

SHAPING THE NARRATIVE: HOW THE LUNGU FAMILY CAN WIN IN COURT AND IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION

By Brian Matambo, Sandton, South Africa

President Hakainde Hichilema understands the power of perception. He knows that if he appears genuine, the public and, by extension, the courts will view him as acting in the national interest simply because he is the Head of State. The Lungu family, by contrast, has not engaged in shaping public perception, leaving them exposed to being cast as unreasonable or wrong.

This imbalance is dangerous. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is weighing two competing narratives: the Zambian government’s position, which he is inclined to support to safeguard state-to-state relations, and the family’s position, which is supported by South African family law and human rights principles. But diplomacy is rarely neutral, and perception shapes reality.

We have already seen troubling signs. A leaked audio recording of Hon. Chabinga revealed how the President allegedly dispatched him on a mission that would culminate in attempts to bribe judges. The government’s willingness to sue a grieving widow in a foreign court speaks volumes. The recent judgment cited a non-existent Zambian law, ignored the widow’s rights, and ordered adherence to an agreement that never existed. These are red flags for any fair-minded observer.

Meanwhile, a wave of well-funded YouTube propaganda and UPND-aligned social media campaigns have vilified Dr. Edgar Lungu, with insults and hate speech spreading unchecked. President Hichilema has remained silent, likely content with the narrative.

The family’s silence has been costly. Key witnesses, including those present when President Lungu was blocked from traveling for medical treatment and those who saw him in his final days in hospital, have not spoken. Neither have those who witnessed the former president being attacked by UPND cadres during his morning jog, or when police attempted to grind down the gate at his Ibex residence.

The public has not heard from those who saw him blocked from attending church services, from meeting friends, or from consulting clergy. Nor from those who remember the brutal near-mutilation of Jay Jay Banda for the “crime” of being seen near Dr Lungu. These events are not isolated; together, they form the lived experience that explains why the family insists on controlling the circumstances of their patriarch’s burial.

Some believe this battle will be won solely in the courtroom. This is a grave miscalculation. This case is a matter of profound public interest, and its outcome will echo far beyond the legal verdict. Even if the courts rule, the fight in the court of public opinion will continue, and that judgment may ultimately carry greater political and historical weight.

*THE MORAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS CASE BEFORE SOUTH AFRICA*
South Africa’s legal tradition and democratic values are rooted in the idea that dignity is inherent to every person, living or deceased, and that families have an undeniable right to safeguard that dignity.

The persecution faced by former President Lungu in his final years, from physical attacks to the obstruction of his freedom of worship and association, provides critical context for the family’s position. To force a burial arrangement against the wishes of the widow and family is not only a political question; it is a human rights question. It asks whether the South African state will side with the dignity of the bereaved or with the convenience of a foreign government.

For a nation that has known the pain of political injustice and fought for the sanctity of human rights, the answer should be clear.

Justice in this case is not simply about legal technicalities; it is about protecting the right of a family to bury their patriarch with dignity, free from political interference, and in a manner that reflects their lived reality. South Africa’s choice will be remembered not only in law reports, but in history and in conscience.