In brief
The conflict between Zambian leaders Hakainde Hichilema and Edgar Lungu extends to Lungu's funeral, with tensions rising over burial arrangements as the state claims a right to conduct a state funeral, while Lungu's family desires to hold it in South Africa, causing a halt to proceedings due to a court intervention.
Zambia's political landscape is marred by a bitter rivalry that shows no signs of abating, even after the death of former President Edgar Lungu. The once-noble institution of a funerary ceremony has turned into a battleground for ideological supremacy between Lungu’s family and current President Hakainde Hichilema.Edgar Lungu's passing at the age of 68 sparked immediate conflict over his burial. Despite his family’s wishes to conduct the funeral in South Africa, where he died following medical treatment for an undisclosed condition, Hichilema’s government insists on a state funeral in Zambia. A lawsuit filed by the government has temporarily stalled the family's plans, intensifying the discord.The political history between Lungu and Hichilema has always been turbulent. Over the years, both leaders have faced police raids and legal confrontations under each other’s regimes, deepening mutual animosity. Recently, Hichilema’s government stripped Lungu of retirement benefits, citing his re-entry into politics as justification.Now, Lungu’s family, represented by spokesman Makebi Zulu, is asserting their right to honor him free from political jabs and media portrayals that damage their intentions for a dignified farewell. They fear a state funeral would merely serve as a means for the current administration to manage public perception rather than genuinely honoring the late president’s legacy.With the South African court's intervention, the legal battle is far from over. This clash not only reflects the personal grievances between the two leaders but underscores the larger issues within Zambian politics, where the wounds of rivalry seem to be deep enough to outlast even death itself.
