Hichilema confers with South African minister, insists Zambia desires late president Lungu to be buried in home country

After the family of late former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu announced that his funeral and burial will take place in South Africa, where he passed away on June 5, 2025, efforts to resolve the diplomatic and logistical deadlock surrounding his final resting place have intensified.

President Hakainde Hichilema on Sunday hosted South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Ozzy Lamola, at State House in Lusaka, in a bid to break the impasse that has left the nation in uncertainty over the burial of its sixth Republican President.

President Hichilema revealed in a Facebook posting on Sunday on June 22, 2025 that: “We were honoured to receive a courtesy call from Ronald Ozzy Lamola, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa who on behalf of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa who conveyed his condolences on the passing of sixth President Edgar Lungu.”

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He said he held a meaningful and respectful discussion regarding the burial of the late President, during which the Zambian government reaffirmed its firm position that Lungu should be laid to rest in his homeland, the Republic of Zambia.

“We extend our sincere gratitude to the President of South Africa for the care extended to our late President during his period of illness,” President Hichilema said.

“We also expressed our apologies to the South African National Defence Force for the unexpected challenges surrounding the repatriation of the late President’s remains on Wednesday, 18th June 2025.”

Negotiations to bring in the remains of the former Head of State have in reached a stalemate which forced President Hichilema to cancel the mourning period in Thursday last week which was scheduled to elapse on Monday,June 23, 2025 with the family of the late former President to announce his remained will be put to rest in South Africa.

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