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Citizens First Party leader, Harry Kalaba, has urged the government to withdraw the court case against late President Edgar Lungu’s family and allow them to put his remains to rest in South Africa.
Kalaba noted that the country needed healing, and that the family also needed closure but that this would only begin when the late President who died on June 5, 2025 in South Africa is allowed to rest in peace.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka on Wednesday at the party Secretariat, kalaba stated that the government through President Hakainde Hichilema squandered many opportunities to resolve the matter amicably.
“The CF is concerned about the standoff that has arisen following Lungu family’s desire to honor the wishes of the 6th Republican President, who requested that Mr. Hichilema not be allowed anywhere near his body,” he said.
Kalaba said while the party appreciated the need for Mr. Lungu’s remains to be laid to rest here in Zambia with full military honors, it also believed that the wishes of the family should be considered, and the President should do the same.
“A week ago, I reposted a video of President Lungu asking a simple question about the conduct of some people: “Is it witchcraft?” he asked. From where I stand, I am inclined to think that Mr. Hichilema must now tell the nation why he has insisted on seeing the body of the late President Lungu, a man he never acknowledged during his seven years in office,” he stated.
Kalaba said as if this was not enough, President Hichilema took the grieving family to court to compel them to release the body to the State so that government can preside over the funeral program—against his express wishes.
He stated that this was not just taboo but that it was also a source of shame and embarrassment for the country.
Kalaba also called on the Church to intensify their prayers, as such acts were akin to spiritual warfare, and demand a spiritual response.
“I further call upon citizens to continue praying for the Lungu family during these trying times. The family has gone through much and covets our prayers and support in whatever way we can offer it,” he said.
Kalaba also expressed concern with the recent announcement by the U.S. State Department placing Zambia among the countries subject to restrictions.
He said the party was aware that the two countries have enjoyed bilateral relations dating back decades and to see this relationship deteriorate to the point of restrictions was telling, and highlights the decline in governance standards.
“The chain of events, including the U.S. Ambassador raising the alarm over misuse of resources in drug procurement and pointing to corrupt practices among top officials, should have served as a wake-up call,” Kalaba said.
He argued that the Ambassador’s call was not merely about the abuse of taxpayer money, but that it was a call for government to stop paying lip service to accountability and governance.
“How do you explain awarding a contract to a company that takes forever to deliver, with no action taken to recover the funds paid upfront? This is precisely the case with the ambulances scandal, which now risks dying out quietly unless we continue to talk about it,” Kalaba asked.
He called on the government to take stock of the issues flagged by the U.S. and implement a remediation plan to avoid blacklisting and travel bans against Zambian citizens.
“While we are aware of the restrictive covenants that have caused Mr. Hichilema to shy away from the USA, we also know that the U.S. remains a key partner that Zambia cannot afford to alienate, especially over a failure to be accountable,” Kalaba said.
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