´Fix the economy not my family´—Edgar Lungu
´Fix the economy not my family´—Edgar Lungu
… as wife and children summoned by law enforcement
Smart Eagles-29.05.26
More than half of sixth President of Zambia Edgar Lungu´s family and close associates have been ordered to a law enforcement agency called the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) in Lusaka tomorrow in a move unprecedented.
Dr. Lungu has confirmed the order on his official page this afternoon describing the move as a brazen attempt to ´shut him down´ and punish his family by the government of President Hakainde Hichilema that was waged a war on him using law enforcement agency since he left office in August 2021 after an acrimonious election.
Dr. Lungu is a highly popular figure in Zambia who is seen as the potential replacement for Mr Hichilema in the next polls of August 2026.
“My entire family is scheduled to report before DEC tomorrow for investigations in what appears like an orchestrated political ploy,” Dr. Lungu said, “governments plan is to keep me and my entire family the whole day at DEC with the aim of breaking or silencing me.”
Dr. Lungu said family members that includes his wife Esther that appear before DEC tomorrow 30th May are; Charles Phiri 09:30, Chiyesu Lungu, daughter 10:30, daughter, Tasila Lungu 11:30 (Tasila is also a Legislator in the Zambian parliament) and Mrs Esther Lungu, former first lady at 12:30-14hrs in a public humiliation fiasco never seen in Zambia is 60 years since independence.
The sixth President said the development is sad because what Mr Hichilema must be doing is to remove the nation out of a deep poverty rut after he exported all reserve and emergency maize stocks to neighbouring Congo and East Africa.
Now about 6 million Zambians out of a population 20 million face severe starvation according to OXFAM following Mr Hichilema´s decision to sell all the maize harvested and grown by his predecessor Edgar Lungu.
In less that one week, Mr Hichilema´s government has arrested at least five very high-profile politicians including a member of parliament, a priest, and a top civil rights activist.
This is the first-time political tensions are reaching this high in Zambia, also coming after a lawmaker was abducted, tortured, and released over the weekend after a two-day disappearance.
Relations between president Lungu and successor Hichilema have remained frosty since 2021 even after Lungu handed over power peacefully. Everyone close to president Lungu is now a target for Mr Hichilema´s government.
But Dr. Lungu said, “No one will cow me or shut me down to fight for Zambia and democracy even as my family is punished because of me.”
The full Edgar Lungu message is available on his Facebook page.