Lungu Buried Tomorrow, No Body-viewing, Cameras Restricted
On Wednesday morning, June 25, 2025, the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) and the family of former Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu prepare to conduct a strictly private burial in South Africa. The Zambian government remains notably silent.
Sources close to the arrangement say no public body viewing will take place, and access to photographs will be restricted. Only a small circle is expected to access the body. Among those flown in for the private rites is Archbishop Alick Banda, a long-time clerical ally of the PF during its time in government.
PF Secures Grave for R66,000 Near Winnie Mandela’s Resting Place
The burial plot, reportedly costing 66,000 South African Rands, is located near the grave of South African icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. That detail, while symbolic, underscores the sharp divergence from Zambia’s state burial traditions.
If executed, this will mark the first time in Zambia’s democratic history that a former Head of State is buried outside the country. And crucially, not at Embassy Park, Zambia’s Presidential burial site, where Lungu’s grave remains unoccupied.
No government statement has been issued. Embassy Park has not been declared closed. There is no published burial program, no military parade, no public tribute. Just speculation and screenshots.
The PF’s confidence stems from a South African media statement, issued Monday by Minister of International Relations Ronald Lamola. While widely interpreted as a greenlight for burial, the statement is both respectful and careful.
“A state burial in Zambia represents the most fitting tribute,” Minister Lamola said, while also noting the legal obligation to honor the Lungu family’s private wishes.
No burial location or date is mentioned. No endorsement of a private South African burial is given. The message is diplomatically layered, not an approval slip.
Lungu himself, while in office, barred Hichilema from attending Kenneth Kaunda’s funeral in 2021. The irony is not lost on observers.
Lungu’s family insists on state honors while rejecting the authority of the state.
Zambia has not refused to bury Edgar Lungu.