Africa-Press – Zambia. Hon. Makebi Zulu, legal counsel and spokesperson for the family of the late former Zambian president Edgar Chagwa Lungu, has made it clear: the family will not compromise on dignity. If a private burial is the only way to ensure it, they are prepared to proceed without the Zambian government’s involvement.
Speaking on South Africa’s Newzroom Africa, Zulu said the Pretoria High Court’s order to hand over the former president’s remains to the Zambian government for repatriation and a state funeral undermines the family’s rights and disregards their agreed concessions.
“The family’s goal is simple, a dignified send-off,” Zulu said. “That cannot be guaranteed if the very people accused of violating his rights in life are put in charge of his burial in death.”
DIGNITY OVER POLITICS
Zulu accused the court of taking a narrow view, focusing on a “purported agreement” while ignoring the constitutional right to dignity, the authority of the next of kin, and the fact that President Lungu died as a private citizen after the Hichilema administration stripped him of his former head-of-state benefits.
“You cannot strip him of medical care, security, and all benefits, then suddenly claim public interest in his death,” Zulu argued. “The family, not the state, must decide how he is laid to rest.”
PRIVATE BURIAL A REAL OPTION
While the Zambian government has framed the matter as a state obligation, Zulu drew on international examples, including Nelson Mandela’s funeral, to assert that the office of president does not override family rights.
If the courts ultimately side with the state, Zulu said the family is prepared to proceed with a private burial in South Africa, restricting attendance to only those deemed necessary and ensuring the process reflects the wishes of the late president and his loved ones.
A WILLINGNESS TO WAIT
The appeal process could prolong the stalemate, but Zulu insisted that time is a secondary concern. “If it takes longer, so be it,” he said. “What matters most is dignity, both for the family and for President Lungu. That dignity will not be traded for expedience or political theatre.”
The family’s position now places the focus squarely on the South African Supreme Court of Appeal, which will be asked to decide whether the right to a dignified funeral, as defined by a family, can outweigh a state’s claim to control the burial of a former head of state.Makebi Zulu
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