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President Hakainde Hichilema has prayed for closure in the long-standing impasse over the burial of his predecessor, the late former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, whose interment remains unresolved more than four months after his death.
The Lungu family had accused the government of frustrating mediation efforts and engaging in alleged clandestine activities that have stalled progress toward the burial since the former Head of State died in South Africa on June 5, 2025.
Speaking on Saturday during the National Day of Prayer, Fasting, Repentance and Reconciliation in Lusaka, Hichilema made a rare public reference to the matter, offering a prayer for the Lungu family and the nation to find peace and resolution.
“We continue to pray for the Lungu family,” Hichilema said in a solemn moment that drew national attention, marking his first attendance at the annual observance since taking office in 2021.
The President led the gathering in a moment of silence for his late predecessor, describing him as Zambia’s sixth Republican President and calling on the nation to pray for his soul to rest in peace.
“I would like to request all of us to stand up and observe a moment of silence in memory and respect of our sixth Republican President. May we please be upstanding, all of us without exception,” he urged.
“As always, we pray for his soul to rest in peace. We also pray for closure on the burial of our sixth President — we pray for closure so that we can achieve closure on this outstanding matter.”
Hichilema did not elaborate on the nature of the unresolved issues, but his remarks appeared to signal a call for reconciliation and finality to a dispute that has divided opinion since the former leader’s death.
Turning to national reflection, the President said the 10th anniversary of the National Day of Prayer, Fasting and Reconciliation was an opportunity to renew collective repentance, forgiveness, and unity under the motto “One Zambia, One Nation.”
“This 10th anniversary is a time to reflect on our journey and progress as a nation. We thank God for His abundant blessings upon our nation. We repent of our sins and seek reconciliation with one another as members of the One Zambia, One Nation family,” he said.
Hichilema also urged citizens not to take the country’s peace for granted, warning against divisive interests and calling for dialogue in resolving conflicts.
“Conflict has no place in our society,” he said, citing the Democratic Republic of Congo’s decades-long instability as a lesson for Zambia.
“We must not allow our country to go that way. Dialogue is the most civilised way of resolving conflict,” he said.
The President concluded with a prayer for divine guidance and national unity, saying Zambia’s progress depended on peace, wisdom, and shared purpose.
“We pray for divine guidance and wisdom in all national affairs that we are engaged in,” he said.
On October 15, 2025, the family of the late former President Lungu accused the Government of Zambia of undermining mediation efforts and engaging in clandestine activities that have frustrated progress toward his burial, four months after his death on June 5, 2025, in South Africa.
In a statement issued in Johannesburg, family spokesperson, Makebi Zulu, said the family was deeply concerned by actions taken by the Government that had eroded trust in the agreed mediation process and raised further questions surrounding the late president’s death.
“We have continued to engage the Government of Zambia in good faith, but what we have witnessed instead are clandestine actions intended to frustrate the process,” Zulu said.
He added: “The family is also concerned about emerging reports and claims suggesting that the late President Lungu may have been murdered. These matters warrant transparent investigation and respect for due process.”
According to the family, on September 23, 2025, the Government of Zambia allegedly engaged a private investigator who, accompanied by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS), made an unannounced visit to the morgue where the late president’s remains are being kept.
The visit, which the family says was conducted without its knowledge or consent, was reportedly to “inquire about the whereabouts of a body in connection with a case of alleged poisoning involving the President.”
Zulu said the incident violated mediation agreements that were meant to rebuild trust between the parties following earlier disputes over the government’s handling of funeral arrangements.
“While the family has been acting in good faith, the Government has, in the background, been carrying out clandestine activities that only serve to undermine the process and represent a futile bid to access the body for unknown reasons,” he stated.
The family also cited a September 29, 2025, report by a group calling itself Progressive Forces of South Africa, which filed a complaint with South African authorities alleging that President Lungu had been murdered.
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