BURY LUNGU BEFORE AUGUST

BURY LUNGU BEFORE AUGUST

…It’s a taboo to continue keeping his body, says Chief Sandwe

By Adrian Mwanza

GOVERNMENT should ensure the body of late former president Edgar Lungu is buried before the August 13 presidential and general elections, Chief Sandwe of the Nsenga people of Lusangazi District of Eastern Province has said.

Chief Sandwe said in an interview both the family and the government should compromise and bury Lungu’s remains before the elections.

“Life has started becoming normal now despite not burying the former head of state, who is still in South Africa,” he said.

Chief Sandwe said the situation was a taboo and appealed to the government to show leadership by facilitating the burial of the former head of state.

He said it was unfortunate that the issue had persisted.

A solution should be found to the impasse that has delayed Lungu’s burial.

Chief Sandwe said keeping Lungu’s body in South Africa more than six months after his death was a bad omen which was affecting many things, including football.

“We have a good football team, but look at the way we are playing. It could be that we have not buried the former head of state,” he said.

Lungu died in South Africa on June 5, 2025, but his body is yet to be buried because of a protracted legal war over burial arrangements.

Meanwhile, Chief Sandwe has urged politicians to maintain peace as the country gets closer to the 2026 general election.

He said he supported the call by the Council of Elders for opposition political party leaders to put their egos aside and work as a team.

“I think the call is timely and should be taken seriously if the opposition is to give the United Party for National Development (UPND) government a good run,” Chief Sandwe said.

He also urged opposition leaders to put their egos aside and work together if they were to have chance to beat the UPND.