How Political Rivalry Delayed Edgar Lungu’s Burial for Over a Year
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LUSAKA — When a former president dies, a nation usually comes together to mourn. Flags fly at half-mast, leaders deliver speeches, and the state lays its former leader to rest with national honors. However, when Edgar Chagwa Lungu—the sixth president of Zambia—passed away at the age of 68 in a South African hospital, peace did not follow. Instead, a long and bitter dispute broke out over where his body should be buried. For over a year, the body of the former head of state remained in a mortuary far from home. The unprecedented delay was driven by political feuds, private last wishes, and intense legal battles between the government and the leader's family. A Bitter Political Rivalry To understand why the burial was delayed, one must look at the history between Edgar Lungu and the current President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema. For years, the two men were fierce political rivals. During Lungu’s presidency from 2015 to 2021, political tensions in Zambia ran high...