The household of Zambia’s former President Edgar Lungu says he can be buried in South Africa in a personal ceremony following a row with the federal government over the funeral preparations.
Late on Thursday, President Hakainde Hichilema reduce brief a interval of nationwide mourning after Lungu’s household refused to permit his physique to be repatriated from South Africa as deliberate. His funeral had been set for Sunday in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka.
The household now says it is going to announce later when Lungu can be buried in Johannesburg in “dignity and peace”.
Will probably be the primary time a former head of state of one other nation is buried in South Africa.
In his will, Lungu mentioned that Hichilema, his long-time rival, shouldn’t attend his funeral.
The federal government and his household later agreed he would have a state funeral earlier than relations broke down over the exact preparations.
“We want to announce that the funeral and burial of our beloved Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu will happen right here in South Africa, in accordance with the household’s needs for a personal ceremony,” household spokesperson Makebi Zulu mentioned in a press release.
Mr Zulu thanked the South African authorities for “non-interference” and honouring the household’s determination and want throughout “this deeply emotional interval”.
In his tackle on Thursday, President Hichilema mentioned that Lungu, as a former president, “belongs to the nation of Zambia” and his physique ought to due to this fact “be buried in Zambia with full honours, and never in every other nation”.
Nonetheless, due to the row, he introduced an instantaneous finish to the mourning interval, saying the nation wanted to “resume regular life”.
“The federal government has finished the whole lot potential to have interaction with the household of our departed sixth president,” he mentioned.
The nationwide mourning interval initially ran from 8 to 14 June however was later prolonged till 23 June, with flags flying at half-mast and radio stations taking part in solemn music.
President Hichilema and senior officers had been ready to obtain Lungu’s coffin with full army honours on Wednesday.
Nonetheless, Lungu’s household blocked the repatriation of his stays on the final minute, saying the federal government had reneged on its settlement over the funeral plans.
The opposition Patriotic Entrance (PF), the celebration Lungu led till his dying, has stood with the household over the funeral plans.
“The federal government has turned a solemn event right into a political sport,” mentioned PF appearing president Given Lubinda. “This isn’t how we deal with a former head of state.”
Civil society teams have known as for an pressing decision of the matter, with a bit of spiritual leaders saying the stand-off was “hurting the dignity of our nation”.
“We attraction for humility, dialogue, and a decision that honours the reminiscence of the previous president whereas preserving the nation united,” mentioned Emmanuel Chikoya, head of the Council of Church buildings in Zambia.
Lungu, who led Zambia from 2015 to 2021, died earlier this month in South Africa the place he was receiving remedy for an undisclosed sickness.
After six years as head of state, Lungu misplaced the 2021 election to Hichilema by a big margin. He stepped again from politics however later returned to the fray.
He had ambitions to vie for the presidency once more however on the finish of final yr the Constitutional Courtroom barred him from operating, ruling that he had already served the utmost two phrases allowed by regulation.
Regardless of his disqualification from the presidential election, he remained massively influential in Zambian politics and didn’t maintain again in his criticism of his successor.
