The family of Edgar Lungu, the former President of Zambia who died in South Africa last week, has said he left instructions that his successor, Hakainde Hichilema, was not welcome at his funeral.
Hichilema and Lungu were bitter rivals. The two had faced off in three elections – a presidential by-election in 2015, and two scheduled elections in 2016 and 2021. Lungu was victorious in 2015 and 2016, but lost to Hichilema in 2021. This was Hichilema’s sixth attempt at winning the presidency.
The government had been planning to fly Lungu’s body back to South Africa from Zambia this week, but this was delayed because of a dispute with his family.
Lungu’s family claims that he was barred from leaving Zambia since losing the presidency, implying that if he had left he would have sought treatment earlier and would still be alive.
The government has said they want to give Lungu a state funeral. The Lungu family previously said they were not opposed to this, but wanted to have a say over who presided over the ceremony. Now a family spokesperson has said they want a private service, and Hichilema must not be “anywhere near” it.
The government and Lungu’s political party, the Patriotic Front (PF), have also argued over where the official venue for mourning would be. The government has designated one venue in Lusaka while the PF has said mourners should come to its headquarters.