A macabre dispute has kept the body of Zambia's former president unburied for months

More than 8 months aft his death, erstwhile Zambian President Edgar Lungu's remains are still successful a South African ceremonial home, nan taxable of a macabre conflict betwixt his family and nan longtime rival who succeeded him.

A schematic awesome of nan dispute: an unfilled, coffin-size spread successful a cemetery successful Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, wherever nan existent president, Hakainde Hichilema, had hoped Lungu would beryllium buried successful a authorities funeral. But Lungu, successful his past days, told his family members that Hichilema, moreover arsenic a mourner, should ne'er spell adjacent his body.

The matter has gone to nan courts, which person many times sided pinch Zambian authorities complete Lungu’s wishes. Lungu’s family persists successful seeking a funeral that sidelines Hichilema.

So nan assemblage lies stiff successful South Africa, wherever Lungu died, while Zambia endures a scandalous saga that offends accepted beliefs and raises galore questions successful a state wherever it is taboo to neglect to hide nan dormant promptly and pinch dignity.

Behind nan impasse is simply a long-running feud betwixt 2 governmental rivals. It besides reflects a belief title betwixt Hichilema, who is up for reelection successful August, and Lungu, who is said to beryllium fighting backmost from nan dead, according to scholars and belief leaders who said to The Associated Press.

A belief conflict

“It has shifted from nan physical, it has shifted from politics, and it is now a belief battle,” said Bishop Anthony Kaluba of Life of Christ congregation successful Lusaka.

Hichilema’s supporters spot Lungu’s will arsenic casting a curse, while they opportunity a authorities ceremonial attended by Hichilema would beryllium an enactment of generosity toward Lungu and his family.

The conflict complete a corpse tin look bizarre to others, but Lungu’s directive resonates pinch galore Zambians.

Some person barred their enemies from attending their funerals, often blaming them for misfortune. Those quarrels are usually much private, not for illustration nan nationalist play of a erstwhile president who, facing death, retaliates against his rival successful nan harsh connection of his ancestors.

Across Africa, past words are a “vital force” to heighten life aliases artifact it, said Chammah J. Kaunda, a Zambian professor of African Pentecostal theology who serves arsenic world dean of nan Oxford Center for Mission Studies.

Elders facing decease tin enforce curses aliases springiness blessings, and Lungu’s lawsuit shows that curses “can get a life of their own,” he said.

A vibrant populist pinch accepted beliefs

Zambia is simply a vibrant democracy. Its founding president was nan genial, handkerchief-waving Kenneth Kaunda, who was voted retired of powerfulness successful 1991, contempt his position arsenic an independency hero.

Like Kaunda, consequent presidents person been civilians lacking nan subject spot of various authoritarians elsewhere successful Africa, giving Zambia’s statesmanlike hopefuls nan opportunity to tally connected their ain merits.

Even so, there’s a cognition that immoderate governmental leaders — for illustration galore of their compatriots — interest they mightiness beryllium bewitched. The emotion is wide successful a state wherever accepted belief thrives alongside Christianity, and a spoken curse is dreaded by galore arsenic spiritually enforceable if provoked by injustice.

“It is simply a weapon,” said Herbert Sinyangwe of WayLife Ministries successful Lusaka. “We judge successful our civilization that curses work.”

In nan lawsuit of 3 caller presidents — Michael Sata, Lungu and Hichilema — suspicion was rampant. The charismatic statesmanlike residence is now thought by galore to beryllium nether a deadly spell because each nan six erstwhile presidents are now dead. Hichilema useful location but sleeps elsewhere.

Sata, who was president from 2011 to 2014, worried that Hichilema, past an guidance figure, was victimizing him moreover arsenic he asserted that charms from his ain region were stronger. Zambian authorities past twelvemonth had 2 men convicted and jailed for allegedly plotting to termination nan president by magic. Lungu’s family doesn’t spot Hichilema.

An quiet tomb

The spot successful Lusaka that would beryllium Lungu’s tomb was quickly dug and built earlier it was known that Lungu’s family had objections, said cemetery caretaker Allen Banda. He warned that a tomb without a corpse was akin to digging “your ain grave.”

“If cipher goes there, culturally it’s your assemblage that’s going to spell there,” he said.

That Hichilema is consenting to consequence nationalist anger successful opposing Lungu’s family has reinforced nan views of those who spot a belief conflict betwixt him and Lungu.

“On nan 1 hand, astir everything done by nan Lungu family truthful acold seems to person been designed to contradict Hichilema entree to Lungu’s body,” said Sishuwa Sishuwa, a Zambian historiographer who is simply a visiting clever clever astatine Harvard. “On nan other, Hichilema’s behaviour truthful acold suggests that he will do immoderate it takes to unafraid entree to Lungu’s corpse, possibly because nan president sees nan rumor arsenic a matter of life and death.”

Lungu died June 5, 2025, aft surgery-related complications. He was 68, and was treated for a narrowing of nan esophagus.

A conflict successful tribunal

To shape a authorities funeral, Zambian authorities would request to return custody of Lungu’s remains until they were interred. But Lungu’s family resisted Hichilema’s plans during negotiations complete ceremonial proceedings.

They preferred to carrier nan corpse by backstage charter and had hoped to support it astatine Lungu’s residence astatine night. They picked 3 group to look aft it during nan authorities ceremonial that ne'er happened.

When Lungu’s family concluded that their wishes were not apt to beryllium followed, they opted for a backstage ceremonial successful South Africa. They were moving up pinch that ceremonial erstwhile they recovered retired that Zambian authorities had blocked it.

A South African tribunal ruled successful August that Zambian authorities could return Lungu’s assemblage location for burial.

Bertha Lungu, nan erstwhile president’s sister, was inconsolable successful nan courtroom aft nan ruling, wailing and cursing astatine Mulilo Kabesha, Zambia’s lawyer general, who said it was clip to return nan corpse home. She asserted that Hichilema wanted nan corpse for ritual purposes.

Hichilema denies malice toward Lungu, and has said his Christian religion forbids belief successful accepted religion.

A bitter rivalry

Lungu roseate to powerfulness aft Sata’s decease successful 2014. Sata’s vice president, Guy Scott, was ineligible to activity nan presidency successful a 2015 ballot and Lungu was picked to decorativeness Sata’s term.

His main force was Hichilema, a able businessman. It was a adjacent title — Lungu won by nether 28,000 votes.

After nan 2016 election, won again by Lungu, Hichilema faced treason charges and was jailed for 4 months for allegedly failing to output to nan statesmanlike motorcade.

Five years later, Lungu mislaid to Hichilema and said he would discontinue from politics. He changed his mind successful 2023, and Zambian authorities withdrew Lungu’s status benefits.

Lungu faced much unit aft his woman and girl were arrested successful 2024 complete fraud allegations tied to spot acquisition.

When he fell sick, Lungu recovered it difficult to time off Zambia. The authorities restricted his travels. He managed to gaffe distant to South Africa early successful 2025, buying a summons astatine nan airdrome counter. The incident was reported by nan section property arsenic a information lapse complete which an airdrome head was fired.

Lungu is “still influencing our authorities from nan grave,” said Emmanuel Mwamba, a Zambian diplomat who speaks for Lungu’s party. “His issues remain. How he was treated successful life and really he was treated successful death.”

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Associated Press belief sum receives support done nan AP’s collaboration pinch The Conversation US, pinch backing from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.