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The government has declared a seven-day period of national mourning, from Sunday, June 8 to Saturday, June 14, 2025, in honour of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, who passed away in South Africa on Thursday, June 5, 2025.
Announcing the development at a press briefing in Lusaka on Saturday, Secretary to the Cabinet, Patrick Kangwa urged members of the public to observe the mourning period respectfully, from 06:00 hours to 18:00 hours daily.
Kangwa called on the nation to suspend or cancel all forms of entertainment during this time, adding that national flags would be flown at half-mast throughout the mourning period.
“The Government of the Republic of Zambia, in consultation with the family and other stakeholders, has accorded a State Funeral to His Excellency Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the sixth President of the Republic of Zambia,” he announced.
He further disclosed that the late president’s body would arrive in the country on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.
Meanwhile, members of the public have been informed that the funeral gathering for the late president will be held at Belvedere Lodge, located along Leopold’s Hill Road in Kabulonga, Lusaka.
“President Hakainde Hichilema has declared a seven-day period of national mourning in accordance with established guidelines for former Republican Presidents. This is in recognition of Mr. Lungu’s immense contribution to the nation as the sixth President of the Republic of Zambia,” Kangwa said.
He added that the public would be updated on further funeral arrangements in due course.
Meanwhile, the family of late former President Edgar Lungu has announced that it will independently repatriate his remains from South Africa, citing mistrust and mistreatment by the current government.
Family spokesperson, Makebi Zulu, speaking during a press briefing monitored on Smart Eagles on Saturday, said the family — with support from well-wishers — will proceed with private arrangements for the repatriation and funeral, without state involvement.
Zulu, flanked by Lungu’s daughter Tasila and her husband, said that while the government had expressed interest in participating in the funeral programme, the family had resolved to honour the former president’s personal wishes and manage the process independently.
“The family wishes to respect the wishes of the former president. He made it clear that he wanted to be buried in Zambia, his homeland, and that the Zambian people should mourn him with dignity,” Zulu stated.
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