The funeral of the former President of Zambius after Hakainde Crichilem canceled mourning

Zambia President Hakinde Hichillema has sharply ended the national mourning period of former President Edgar Lungu in the escalating giving up between family and authorities on his funeral plans.

This is followed by the cancellation of Lungu’s body from South Africa from his family on Wednesday, leaving the country uncertain when and where the former leader will be buried.

In his address on Thursday night, President Hakainde Jichilema announced the end of the struggle immediately, saying that the country should “resume normal life”.

“The government has done everything possible to engage with the family of our sixth president,” said Hichillema.

The national mourning period initially lasted from June 8 to June 14, but was later extended until June 23, with the flags flying the half-mitch and radio stations playing solemn music.

The extension followed a meeting between government officials and Lungu’s family in an attempt to resolve the impasse for his funeral program.

Funeral arrangements have been finalized And his remains had to be taken home on Wednesday in a private charter.

President Hichillema and senior officials were ready to receive the ark with full military honors and there were plans for the body to lie in the state at the Lungu residence before the funeral this Sunday and the funeral the next day.

However, Lungu’s family was blocking the repatriation of Lungu’s remains on Wednesday, saying the government had undergone its funeral plans.

The family said he hoped that the former president’s body would be repatriate “someday” and buried in Zambia.

The government regretted the family’s actions and apologizes to the South African government and the military who were preparing for the broadcast.

“It’s a pity that their efforts were in vain,” said Hichillema.

He added that Lungu, as a former president, “belongs to the Zambia nation” and therefore his body must “bury in Zambia with full honors, not in any other nation.”

Hichillema said his government had “reached a point where a clear decision should be made,” adding that the country “cannot afford a state of indefinite mourning.”

Opposition Patriotic Front (PF), the Lungu Party to his death, supported the family’s position.

“The government has turned a solemn occasion into a political game,” said PF president, who runs on Lyubinda. “This is not true of a former head of state.”

Civil society groups called for an urgent resolution of the issue as part of religious leaders said that upholding “hurting our country’s dignity”.

“We appeal for humility, dialogue and resolution that honors the former president’s memory while maintaining the nation united,” said Emanuel Chikoya, Head of the Church Council in Zambia.

The government called for peace and confirmed its willingness to continue the dialogue with the family over the impasse.

Lungu, who led Zambia from 2015 to 2021, died earlier this month in South Africa, where he was treated for an unsolved disease.

After six years as head of state, Lungu lost the election in 2021 to the Hijilem with a large margin. He gave way to politics, but later returned to the brawl.

He again had ambitions to fight for the Presidency, but at the end of last year, the Constitutional Court banned him from running, deciding that he had already served the maximum two terms authorized by law.

Despite his disqualification from the presidential election, he remains extremely influential in Zambian politics and does not restrain himself in his criticism of his heir.

Additional reporting from Wycliffe Muia