Stripped in Life, Decorated in Death: The Hypocrisy of President Hakainde Hichilema Toward Edgar Chagwa Lungu
By Thandiwe Ketis Ngoma
As Zambia mourns the passing of its sixth President, His Excellency Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the air is thick not only with sorrow but also with a piercing sense of injustice. For many patriotic Zambians, grief walks hand in hand with outrage—not just at his death, but at the treatment he received in life at the hands of the very government now scrambling to drape him in honour.
President Edgar Lungu was not perfect. No leader is. But he was a democratically elected Head of State, and more importantly, a former President of the Republic, a position that demands respect, dignity, and institutional protection. What he received instead was a campaign of humiliation, intimidation, and calculated erasure orchestrated by the United Party for National Development under President Hakainde Hichilema.
Now, in his death, we are about to witness a disturbing theatre of political hypocrisy.
The same state that withdrew his security will now pretend to protect his coffin. The same state that denied him access to international medical treatment will now spend taxpayer funds to transport his remains home with honour. The same voices that fell silent, or worse, laughed when he was insulted, harassed, and treated like a fugitive, will now flood the airwaves with poetic eulogies and promises of national mourning.
Let us not be deceived. Let us remember the facts.
President Lungu was:
Denied routine medical attention, even after publicly declaring his health challenges. Permission to travel for healthcare was politicized, delayed, or outright denied.
Stripped of his state security, a basic entitlement for any former Head of State. He moved through the country exposed and vulnerable, a target of political vendettas and public ridicule.
Humiliated through orchestrated mob insults, often led by cadres emboldened by silence, or worse, encouragement from the UPND leadership. These attacks happened in plain view of law enforcement officers who stood by without action.
Publicly heckled by students believed to be sponsored by UPND while attending court appearances. No former President should have to endure jeers and chants while quietly sitting in a courtroom.
Subjected to the invasion of his rented home in Ibex Hill by police who came with power tools to destroy his gate, leaving a trail of psychological damage and legal ambiguity.
And now, in a tragic twist, the same administration that once chased him from planes is expected to welcome his casket with military salutes. Is this national healing or national hypocrisy
President Hakainde Hichilema must be reminded that Zambians know the truth. What was done to President Lungu under his watch was not simply political rivalry. It was a personal vendetta institutionalized by the state.
True leadership is measured by how we treat our predecessors, not just our allies. In life, Edgar Lungu was treated like an enemy of the state. In death, he is now being cast as a hero. But the hypocrisy is visible, undeniable, and unforgettable.
President Lungu deserved dignity in life, not just in death. A state funeral cannot undo years of indignity. Military honours cannot erase the silence that enabled his suffering. And speeches at the grave will not absolve those who mocked him while he lived.
Zambians must rise above political theatre and remember the truth. If we are to truly honour President Lungu, then we must commit to building a Zambia where no former President and no citizen is treated with such contempt again.
The time for justice is not after death. The time for honour is not when the cameras are rolling. The time for respect is now, in life, when it still matters.
Rest in peace, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
We saw how they treated you.
And we will not let the truth be buried with you.