All the political and legal NONSENSE aside – President Lungu must now be laid to rest with full respect to President HH

The AFRICAN and DRAMA at a funeral seem to be difficult things to separate. When the legend Robert Mugabe died, the drama could have made a blockbuster Bollywood movie.

Now 6 years later, Southern Africa is being served another overly politicised and legalised dish of Presidential funeral drama courtesy of the Zambians.

The controversy surrounding the late Zambia President, Edgar Chagwa Lungu smacks of political differences made personal in dramatic ways.

Constitutional issues, political differences and flexing of power for the living and the dead, must now be “BURIED” and have Zambia move on.

Notwithstanding the court case to be heard on the 4th of August 2025 in Pretoria, it is imperative that the political foes find each other.

There is no way political differences can be settled in court – there will be no winner as Zambia will lose its fabric and moral fibres/standing in the end.

It is clear that the relations between Lungu and HH were never cordial. HH nearly died and got arrested on Lungu’s instigation and antics several times.

Who can ever forget that infamous incident that HH was arrested for having blocked Lungu’s motorcade? – a ludicrous allegation of proportions for everyone knew that was an absolute fabrication.

Everyone knows how the police damaged and destroyed HH’s house at one point. That HH has retaliated by instituting corruption investigations into Lungu’s tenure and businesses is well known.

That they have found tons of information to have Lungu put behind bars or forfeit the ill-gotten gains is well known. However, African leaders must now turn the corner and stop these antics.

The idea of chasing the predecessor and wanting to have a holier than thou attitude is not serving any useful purpose in the political transitions. HH can see this and he knows very well it did and does not give him any leverage towards Lungu or his party.

One of the disputes is over the issue of the Zimbabwe passport that was used by Lungu when he checked in to the hospital in South Africa.

This is a serious legal matter and the Zambian Government cannot be faulted here. They must be sure if their former President is the one who died. President Lungu’s family cannot dispute this.

All the same, the first point to note is that the Zambian Government must inform the public if former President Lungu travelled out of Lusaka on a Zambian passport/travel document or not. I do not want to believe that Lungu left Zambia using the alleged Zimbabwe passport.

I say this because I am convinced that President HH knows that Lungu is Zambian. HH very well knows why Lungu had a Zimbabwean passport. He knows the close relationship between ZANU PF, Lungu and Mnangagwa.

That HH’s party loathes ZANU PF and would rather have Chamisa as President in Zimbabwe is well known.

That Lungu would have sought the passport for protection purposes and travel when outside Zambia is a “given” and thus should not bother anyone in their right sense of mind and if they are politically mature.

It is very well known how Lungu has been prevented from leaving Lusaka in several occasions for whatever reason.

The alleged passport was not meant for Lungu to be deemed a Zimbabwe citizen. It was meant to hide his identity and for travel outside the borders of Zambia.

More importantly, the Zimbabwe Government can argue that it never issued such a document and that it could have been a fake one. That is very possible and plausible argument that the Zimbabwe authorities can raise.

This issue of the Zimbabwe passport is a lacuna between the late President Lungu, the Zambian Government and their Gods. It does not concern Zimbabwe. Kalam farik!

The honorable thing to do now is to stop all these shenanigans on the part of HH, the Zambian Government and the Lungu family. Lungu blundered in so many ways. Power got into his head and like Mugabe never imagined that his end would be mired in so much controversy.

HH must know that he is a President of a whole state and nation that is Zambia. The country deserves better. Deference to honor, humility and order requires that he does the right thing. Lungu is a Zambian and must be respected as such.

At the very least they can do a DNA test to prove if the deceased’s remains are those of former President Lungu. It would not make sense after such drama for any body or remains to just be buried either in Zambia, South Africa or Zimbabwe.

The whole argument that there can be a constitutional crisis is not necessary. The debates that President Lungu might not have been Zambian and therefore his election could have been invalid are just beerhall nonsense.

That his subsequent decisions in Government could be nullified etc. are all just political child’s play by political opportunists. It is just a deflection meant to destabilize the country and to what end really?

Regardless of Lungu’s political blunders when he was in and out of office, dignity and statesmanship requires that he be given an honorable funeral and befitting send off – state sponsored at that.

The Lungu family and his party cannot continue with their unreasonable demands of holding the country hostage. They must accede to a DNA test at the least, accept a state funeral and must not cause a national raucous.

The man is dead. They cannot use the man’s lifeless soul to preserve their political party or remain relevant. Lungu was a Zambian and he must be buried in Zambia.

Lungu’s widow just like Grace Mugabe could be afraid of losing her fortunes, properties etc. Therefore sober mindsets must prevail.

This is the time the Jakaya Kikwetes, the Olusegun Obasanjos and the Uhuru Kenyattas are needed to navigate and provide guidance to both sides to preserve the honor of the Late President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the dignity of the nation of Zambia and offer respect to the sitting President Hakainde Hichilema.

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