Zambian Government Admits Blocking Lungu’s Access to Medical Care, Church Services – South African Court Told

Zambian Government Admits Blocking Lungu’s Access to Medical Care, Church Services – South African Court Told

In a damning revelation that has sent shockwaves across Zambia and the diaspora, the Pretoria High Court in South Africa has heard that the Zambian Government under President Hakainde Hichilema deliberately denied former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu access to medical treatment abroad, despite being fully aware of his deteriorating health since 2015.

The admissions are contained in court documents filed in Case No. 2025-096565 before the Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa. Zambia’s Attorney General, Mulilo Kabesha, openly conceded that in September 2023, the State refused to allow Lungu to travel to South Africa for urgent medical attention, citing insufficient “particulars” about the treatment he sought.

“The Applicant refused to grant the late President Lungu permission to visit South Africa during September 2023. This was because the late President Lungu did not provide the Applicant with any particulars of the medical treatment he allegedly had to undergo,” Kabesha stated in the affidavit.

However, in a striking contradiction, the same affidavit acknowledges that the government was fully aware of Lungu’s longstanding illness, admitting that:

“The late President Lungu entered the borders of the Republic of South Africa in January 2025 through a diplomatic passport and under circumstances where he had been ill from at least 2015.”

This dual admission of knowing Lungu was unwell and yet deliberately blocking his travel has sparked widespread public outrage and renewed accusations that the government treated the former Head of State with malice, cruelty, and political vengeance.

The Lungu family’s affidavit filed before the South African court paints a grim picture of systematic harassment and restriction, alleging that Mr. Lungu was prevented from jogging, visiting churches, meeting religious leaders, and even accepting private invitations, all under the pretext that he was “politicking.”

“Not only was his right to health violated, but even his freedom of movement and religion were suppressed,” one family member stated. “The late President could not attend a simple church service without being accused of campaigning.”

These restrictions, the family contends, amounted to deliberate psychological and physical persecution, which they believe directly contributed to his declining health and untimely death. Medical experts who were close to the former President are reportedly preparing to submit statements affirming that delays in seeking specialist care abroad drastically reduced his survival chances.

The case now exposes the depth of the personal and political hostility between President Hichilema’s administration and the former First Family animosity that many Zambians argue crossed ethical and constitutional lines.

Critics say President Hichilema, who once accused the Lungu administration of victimisation and abuse, has mirrored the very tactics he vowed to end. The irony is not lost on the Zambian public.

In what many now see as a hauntingly prophetic moment, President Hichilema once reportedly said, “If Lungu is buried in South Africa, the world will laugh at Zambia.” Yet, it is now his government that stands accused of inhumane treatment and political cruelty, and it is his legacy that risks being defined by this shameful chapter.

Indeed, as public sentiment shifts and calls for accountability grow louder, it seems that the late President Lungu is telling his truth from beyond the grave and the world is listening.

©️ KUMWESU | July 18, 2025