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A clergywoman, Elizabeth Hamaundu, claiming a close relationship with late president Edgar Lungu, has appealed to politicians from both the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) and the opposition not to politicise the mourning of late President Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
Hamaundu advised the government to honour the wishes of Lungu’s family, allowing them space to grieve without pressure, spectacle, or state imposition.
In an interview with Zambia Monitor Monday, she expressed dismay over what she described as an attempt by the same government that “denied him dignity in life” to now take control of his return in death.
“President Lungu died far from home—not because he chose exile, but because exile was the only place left for him to find peace, seek healing, and escape humiliation,” she said.
Hamaundu claimed her heartbreak deepened after watching a video recorded before his passing, in which Lungu, with visible sorrow and fatigue, expressed the emotional toll of his treatment.
“In that moment, he did not speak as a former Head of State demanding honour, but as a man wounded by betrayal and injustice,” she said.
“His voice was soft, almost broken. He said, ‘If I am to die, I will die a very painful death because of how I am being treated.’
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She added that the late President left Zambia quietly, burdened not only by physical illness but by emotional wounds allegedly inflicted by the state he once led.
“When he needed compassion, he was met with cruelty. When he needed access to medical care, he found closed doors. Yet, he bore it all in silence—not out of weakness, but in hope that his country would one day remember his service, his sacrifices, and his humanity,” Hamaundu alleged.
She called on the government to respect the family’s request for a private, quiet homecoming, in accordance with the late president’s own wishes.
“He left silently. He asked to return in silence. That is not too much to ask. It is not defiance. It is dignity,” she said.
Hamaundu further alleged: “ And in this time of deep mourning, the same hands that turned him away now reach for his coffin. The contradiction is painful. It is not just confusing—it is cruel.”
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