President Hakainde Hichilema says a government team is in South Africa holding discussions with the family of former President Edgar Lungu regarding burial arrangements, months after the sixth president's death sparked a contentious dispute.
Speaking when he met Zimbabwean Second Vice President Kembo Mohadi at State House this afternoon, President Hichilema said Zambia is open to any support from Zimbabwe that may help bring the matter to closure. The meeting comes as Zambia continues to engage the Lungu family following a protracted legal battle over where the former president should be buried.
Lungu, who served as Zambia's head of state from 2015 to 2021, died in South Africa on June 5 while receiving medical treatment. The process to repatriate his body for burial in Zambia has been marred by a bitter feud between his family and the current Zambian government.
His family and lawyers said he left specific instructions that Hichilema should not attend his funeral, while the Zambian government said Hichilema was due to preside over the state funeral. A state funeral for him in Zambia was canceled twice because of disagreements over the details.
President Hichilema emphasized the importance of national unity during the State House meeting. "The Zambian people want their former President to be laid to rest in his home country, alongside the other five Presidents," he said.
On Friday, a high court judge in Pretoria ruled that Lungu's body should "immediately" be handed over to a representative of Zambia's court system for repatriation and burial in Lusaka. "A former president's personal wishes or the wishes of his family cannot outweigh the right of the state to honour that individual with a state funeral," the court said.
The protracted dispute has drawn international attention and highlighted deep political divisions in Zambia. Lungu and Hichilema were bitter rivals, with tensions dating back to 2017 when Hichilema was accused of treason after his motorcade failed to give way to Lungu's presidential convoy.
Beyond the burial discussions, the meeting between President Hichilema and Vice President Mohadi addressed broader bilateral cooperation. President Hichilema has called for the speedy conclusion of discussions to elevate bilateral relations between Zambia and Zimbabwe from the Joint Permanent Commission -JPC- to a Bi-National Commission -BNC-.
He said the elevation will allow better management of common assets such as the Kariba Dam and help both countries implement joint projects to improve their economies for the benefit of their citizens. The president also called for urgent development of clean coal power stations to address the energy deficit.
Colonel Mohadi, retired who is in Zambia to inspect sites where Zimbabwean liberation heroes are buried, said the elevation of relations to a BNC will accelerate the implementation of joint projects. His visit is part of a broader regional tour examining liberation heritage sites.
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Mulambo Haimbe said technical teams from the two countries are finalising work towards the establishment of the BNC, which will soon transition into the holding of a full commission meeting.
The meeting underscores the complex diplomatic efforts required to resolve the Lungu burial impasse while maintaining regional cooperation. The Patriotic Front party, led by Lungu, said the family had "filed an appeal against the judgement" following the Pretoria court ruling.
Church organizations have called for restraint as negotiations continue. Three Church Mother Bodies (CCZ, EFZ, and ZCCB) have taken note of the recent statements issued by Government and urged both parties to find common ground.
