Kangwa betrayed us, Lungu’s family protest
By Tony Nkhoma
SECRETARY to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa has betrayed the family of late sixth president Edgar Lungu by sneaking in funeral programmes that were not part of the agreement reached last week in South Africa without consultation, Lungu’s family has said.
And the body of Lungu, who died in South Africa on June 5 could not be repatriated because of the failure by government to honour the agreement, the family has said.
The statement by Kangwa banning people from receiving Lungu’s remains at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport has angered the Lungu family.
Family spokesperson and lawyer Makebi Zulu said in a statement yesterday the Lungu family was unhappy with Kangwa’s statement restricting Zambians from receiving and witnessing the arrival of the remains of their former president.
“On the 17th of June, 2025, the Secretary to the Cabinet issued a statement restricting people from receiving or at least witnessing the arrival of the remains of the former president. This notice was issued without consultation with the family,” Zulu said.
He said government was subverting the spirit of its agreement with the family on the burial process of the late Lungu,
Speaking in Johannesburg, South Africa, Zulu said the notice Kangwa had issued was done without consultation with the family.
Zulu said Lung’s body would therefore not return to Zambia as scheduled.
The family has noted with concern Government’s attempts to subvert the spirit of the agreement.
“However, the family has noted with regret that there have been attempts to subvert the spirit of the agreement that the family and the government got into by engagement into the following on the part of the government,” Zulu said.
The family had advised Kangwa that it wasn’t comfortable with the announced road works by the Road Development Agency (RDA) on Chifwema Road leading to the house where Lungu’s body was expected to lie in state.
“On the 16th of June, 2025, a statement to the public was released by the Road Development Agency stating that they would be carrying out repair works of the road from Crossroads, seven kilometres onwards. As the public may know, this is a road that leads to Chifwema, the official residence of the former president,” Zulu said.
He said it was agreed with government that the body would be using the same road at all times from Mulungushi International Conference Centre for the purpose of body viewing.
“It is also part of the programme and agreement that at all times, the body would be moved from Chifwema to Mulungushi [International] Conference Centre for purposes of body viewing, the state funeral as well as the burial service on the 23rd,” Zulu said.
“However, the notice from RDA put it across that the road would be under maintenance. When this was brought to our attention, we advised the Secretary to the Cabinet that we weren’t comfortable with these works as they tended to go against the agreement that we had,” Zulu said.
When the matter was brought to the attention of government, the works were suspended until further notice.
“Following a joint briefing between family and government, we came to an agreed position that the mortal remains of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu would be repatriated today, the 18th of June, 2025. It was agreed, among other things, that the body would at all times lay in state at the official residence of the deceased in Chifwema. It was further agreed that parties would jointly make decisions upon consultation,” Zulu said.
But, he said, no opportunity whatsoever was given to the family to indicate whom they wished to invite, if at all the attendance was by invitation, nor were they given any chance to say anything as regards the said invitation.
“This programme suggested that upon arrival at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, the body would be taken to a designated place for a church service, and thereafter it would be received by President Hakainde Hichilema at the airport.” Zulu said.
When the matter was made known to Kangwa, he U-turned that it had been released in error and was a mere draft which should not have been released.
“Before long, yet another statement which they termed a combined program was released, which essentially contained the same, but further went to suggest that on Thursday the 19th of June 2025, President Hakainde Hichilema would lead the body viewing at Mulungushi,” Zulu said.
Zulu said the programme as well, was arrived at without consultation with the family.
“For this reason and many more, the family finds it very difficult to believe that the agreement will stick to the end of the agreement, and have resolved, sadly so, that the mortal remains of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu will not return home today [yesterday],” he said.
Zulu hoped that someday Lungu’s body would be repatriated home and buried.
