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eNCA
a day ago
- Politics
- eNCA
Zambian ex-president to be buried in South Africa after funeral row
LUSAKA - The family of Zambia's late president, Edgar Lungu, announced on Friday that he will be buried in South Africa after a row with the Zambian government over its plans for a state funeral. Lungu's family on Wednesday stopped his body from being repatriated from South Africa, where he died in hospital on June 5, after it emerged that President Hakainde Hichilema planned to receive it upon arrival against the late leader's wishes. In response, Hichilema cut short an extended period of national mourning for Lungu, whom he replaced in 2021 after winning elections. Lungu's funeral and burial "will take place here in South Africa, in accordance with the family's wishes for a private ceremony", spokesman Makebi Zulu said in a statement. "The Lungu family continues to seek peace and unity amongst fellow Zambians during this time," the statement said, thanking the South African government for its "non-interference and respect of the... rights of the family". The cause of the former president's death at the age of 68 was not announced but he had been receiving specialised treatment in a clinic in Pretoria, his Patriotic Front party said. He was elected to lead the copper-rich southern African country in 2015 but lost elections six years later to Hichilema, from the United Party for National Development. Since then, his wife and children have been charged with corruption and possession of suspected proceeds of crime in what the family has claimed to be part of a political vendetta. Lungu's daughter Tasila Lungu was arrested in February on money laundering charges. She was previously detained alongside her mother and sister on fraud charges in 2024. Her brother, Dalitso, is also facing corruption charges. An initial seven days of mourning for Lungu was extended by another nine days to end on June 23, the day after the government had scheduled a state funeral for. But Hichilema ended the period of mourning four days early on Thursday in reaction to the family's refusal to allow the body to return.
The Star
09-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Edgar Lungu's death sparks outcry, allegations of poisoning and political suppression
Former Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has died at the age of 68, with his final days clouded by political tension, medical struggles, and serious allegations of state-sponsored persecution. Lungu passed away on Thursday in a South African hospital, where he had been receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness. However, the official silence on the cause of death and mounting accusations from his political allies have sparked a storm of controversy, including claims that the former head of state may have been poisoned to prevent him from contesting the 2026 presidential elections. Lungu, who served as Zambia's sixth president from 2015 to 2021, had announced a political comeback in late 2023 after years of relative quiet following his electoral defeat to current President Hakainde Hichilema (popularly known as HH). But what began as a bid to return to the ballot box quickly turned into a contentious and, some claim, dangerous standoff with the ruling administration. A Contested Comeback Lungu's return to politics was met with immediate resistance from the Hichilema-led government. In December 2024, the Constitutional Court ruled that Lungu was ineligible to contest again, arguing that his first, partial term from 2015 to 2016 counted as a full term under Zambia's constitutional two-term limit. Lungu's legal team and supporters decried the judgment as politically motivated, pointing to his widespread popularity among grassroots voters and within opposition coalitions as a threat to the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND). But critics say the court ruling was just the beginning of a broader campaign to shut Lungu out of national politics. Stripped of Protection and Benefits Soon after his political re-entry, Lungu was stripped of all retirement benefits typically afforded to former heads of state. These included state-provided security, official transportation, medical support, and diplomatic privileges. The government justified the move by citing a legal provision that bars retired presidents from engaging in politics if they wish to retain those benefits. While technically legal, the action had far-reaching consequences for Lungu's safety and well-being. Without state protection, his movements were left exposed. More alarmingly, his access to healthcare, particularly urgent specialist treatment, was severely limited. Sources within the Patriotic Front (PF), Lungu's party, say repeated requests for travel permits to receive medical care abroad were delayed or denied. 'He was denied not only political freedom but medical care too,' said a senior PF official. 'When it became clear that he needed to leave for urgent treatment, the government stalled. That decision may have cost him his life.' Allegations of Poisoning With the cause of Lungu's death yet to be officially confirmed, speculation is growing that he may have been deliberately poisoned. Though no forensic evidence has been made public, the PF is calling for an independent international investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. His daughter, Tasila Lungu-Mwansa, confirmed in a public statement that her father had been unwell for weeks and had travelled to South Africa under medical supervision. However, she also alluded to the family's belief that his condition may have been the result of "external interference" — a veiled reference to suspected foul play. PF leaders have taken a more direct stance. 'This was not a natural death,' said Brian Mundubile, a close ally of Lungu. 'We believe this was orchestrated to eliminate him politically and permanently.' Restricted Movement and Surveillance Beyond the courtroom and hospital bed, Lungu's daily life was increasingly policed. Police were reportedly stationed outside his home, monitoring his activities and restricting public engagements. Even routine morning jogs and Sunday church services were flagged as political activity and discouraged or blocked by law enforcement. 'It was humiliation, plain and simple,' said one family confidant. 'He was a former president being treated like a common criminal just for exercising and praying.' Human rights activists and opposition figures have condemned the government's treatment of Lungu as not only unconstitutional but dangerous for Zambia's democratic fabric. 'What happened to President Lungu sets a dangerous precedent,' said a representative of the Zambia Human Rights Commission. 'If a former president can be silenced this way, what protection exists for the ordinary citizen?'
IOL News
08-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Edgar Lungu's death sparks outcry, allegations of poisoning and political suppression
Secretary General of Zambia's Patriotic Front Raphael Mangani Nakacinda addressing a media round table in Sandton Johannesburg on the impasse between the Zambian government and the Patriotic Front. Medical Staff at the hospital that treated President Lungu say they have been threatened by Zambian government officials who wanted to remove and repatriate the presidents body to Zambia without the family's consent or knowledge. Former Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has died at the age of 68, with his final days clouded by political tension, medical struggles, and serious allegations of state-sponsored persecution. Lungu passed away on Thursday in a South African hospital, where he had been receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness. However, the official silence on the cause of death and mounting accusations from his political allies have sparked a storm of controversy, including claims that the former head of state may have been poisoned to prevent him from contesting the 2026 presidential elections. Lungu, who served as Zambia's sixth president from 2015 to 2021, had announced a political comeback in late 2023 after years of relative quiet following his electoral defeat to current President Hakainde Hichilema (popularly known as HH). But what began as a bid to return to the ballot box quickly turned into a contentious and, some claim, dangerous standoff with the ruling administration. A Contested Comeback Lungu's return to politics was met with immediate resistance from the Hichilema-led government. In December 2024, the Constitutional Court ruled that Lungu was ineligible to contest again, arguing that his first, partial term from 2015 to 2016 counted as a full term under Zambia's constitutional two-term limit. Lungu's legal team and supporters decried the judgment as politically motivated, pointing to his widespread popularity among grassroots voters and within opposition coalitions as a threat to the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND). But critics say the court ruling was just the beginning of a broader campaign to shut Lungu out of national politics. Stripped of Protection and Benefits Soon after his political re-entry, Lungu was stripped of all retirement benefits typically afforded to former heads of state. These included state-provided security, official transportation, medical support, and diplomatic privileges. The government justified the move by citing a legal provision that bars retired presidents from engaging in politics if they wish to retain those benefits. While technically legal, the action had far-reaching consequences for Lungu's safety and well-being. Without state protection, his movements were left exposed. More alarmingly, his access to healthcare, particularly urgent specialist treatment, was severely limited. Sources within the Patriotic Front (PF), Lungu's party, say repeated requests for travel permits to receive medical care abroad were delayed or denied.'He was denied not only political freedom but medical care too,' said a senior PF official. 'When it became clear that he needed to leave for urgent treatment, the government stalled. That decision may have cost him his life.' Allegations of Poisoning With the cause of Lungu's death yet to be officially confirmed, speculation is growing that he may have been deliberately poisoned. Though no forensic evidence has been made public, the PF is calling for an independent international investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. His daughter, Tasila Lungu-Mwansa, confirmed in a public statement that her father had been unwell for weeks and had travelled to South Africa under medical supervision. However, she also alluded to the family's belief that his condition may have been the result of "external interference" — a veiled reference to suspected foul play. PF leaders have taken a more direct stance. 'This was not a natural death,' said Brian Mundubile, a close ally of Lungu. 'We believe this was orchestrated to eliminate him politically and permanently.' Restricted Movement and Surveillance Beyond the courtroom and hospital bed, Lungu's daily life was increasingly policed. Police were reportedly stationed outside his home, monitoring his activities and restricting public engagements. Even routine morning jogs and Sunday church services were flagged as political activity and discouraged or blocked by law enforcement.'It was humiliation, plain and simple,' said one family confidant. 'He was a former president being treated like a common criminal just for exercising and praying.' Human rights activists and opposition figures have condemned the government's treatment of Lungu as not only unconstitutional but dangerous for Zambia's democratic fabric. 'What happened to President Lungu sets a dangerous precedent,' said a representative of the Zambia Human Rights Commission. 'If a former president can be silenced this way, what protection exists for the ordinary citizen?'
eNCA
05-06-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Edgar Lungu, former Zambian president, dies at 68
Zambia's former president Edgar Lungu, who held power for almost seven years until 2021, died Thursday in a hospital in South Africa at the age of 68, his party and family announced. Lungu had been receiving specialised medical treatment in a clinic in Pretoria, the Patriotic Front (PF), his political party, said in a statement. "My father had been under medical supervision in recent weeks," his daughter and member of the country's national assembly Tasila Lungu-Mwansa said in a video shared on social media. "His condition was managed with dignity and privacy with support from all well-wishers," she said, without providing details of the cause of his death. Lungu, a trained military officer and lawyer, became the country's sixth president in 2015 after the death in office of his predecessor Michael Sata. While campaigning to be elected leader of the large but sparsely populated, resource-rich country, Lungu described himself as an "ordinary Zambian of humble beginnings". He narrowly won the 2016 election against Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND) after a violent campaign that saw clashes between the two parties. He pledged to unite the country and rebuild the economy. - Conservative - Amnesty International said that repression under Lungu had pushed Zambia to the edge, with a "brutal crackdown on human rights" and "brazen attacks on any form of dissent". On social issues, he revealed a conservative side, saying for example that gay rights were "foreign". Born in 1956 in Chadiza in eastern Zambia, Lungu was from the minority Nsenga ethnic group, but he often described himself as a non-tribal. "In private, ECL, as he is affectionately known, was disarmingly personable and very down to earth," Musa Mwenye, a former attorney general posted on X. He stepped down from the presidency in 2021 when Hichilema, the current president, won fresh elections by a landslide. He had said he planned to run for president again in the 2026 elections.
