Using Edgar Lungu’s Body for Campaigns

Using Edgar Lungu’s Body for Campaigns

By Osward Bwali

The UPND and their horde of surrogate NGOs and ‘celebrities’ are running amok over Brian Mundubile’s comments at a rally that his party will dispose of Edgar Lungu’s body with dignity once his party is elected to office on 13th August. The critics include Ngande Mwanajiti, Authur Muyunda (SACCORD), Chinoya Muyeye (YDF), Kachanana Norde, Miles Sampa, Nevers Mumba, and Clayson Hamasaka.

The News Diggers newspaper came out all guns blazing: “They had no plans to bury Lungu, they needed his body for campaigns”. And then they unleashed a barrage of assumptions and conclusions that could be mistaken for rantings from a mental ward. The News Diggers have sadly morphed from a professional media house into something of a State House public relations firm, and now into a UPND campaign leaflet. The newspapers’ seeming desperation mirrors that of State House and UPND Secretariat.

The News Diggers editorial heading sums up their argument. The South African Supreme Court ruled in favour of the late former president’s family to inter his remains. The UPND government did not appeal the judgement. But, according to News Diggers, instead of burying Lungu’s remains immediately, Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu have chosen to abuse the body for perceived maximum political mileage. But this thinking is economical on the truth and based on them coming to a horrendous conclusion like a derailed train. Here is the correct account, and a better interpretation of Mundubile’s remarks.

In August 2023, Lungu requests government to travel for treatment to South Africa for treatment. The UPND government rejects the request outrightly. By late 2024, Lungu’s health had deteriorated so badly and urgently needed treatment. Faced with the open UPND government malice, Lungu sneaked out of Zambia during a visit by the UN envoy, Iren Khan. On 5 June 2025, Lungu dies in South Africa.

The Lungu family and the UPND government embark on negotiations to repatriate the body of the late president for burial in Zambia. The family would be in possession of the body at all times. Agreed. The body is about to be flown out of South Africa until it’s discovered the UPND government had changed the programme in breach of the agreement. The change allegedly included 40 minutes in which president Hichilema would spend time with Lungu’s body alone on arrival.

The family then makes alternative plans to bury Lungu in South Africa. The UPND government immediately sues against the family decision. A long court battle ensues at a colossal cost to Zambia’s taxpayers. The UPND government briefly takes possession of the body overnight and does whatever they wanted to do with it. Eventually, about two weeks ago, the Supreme Court rules the funeral and the burial of Lungu was the family’s right.

Throughout the scandal, Brian Mundubile was busy fighting every trick the UPND threw to stop him from standing in next month’s election. Makebi Zulu was the family’s lawyer on the matter not the decision-maker. The family has adults to make the family decisions. But in their desperate effort to assassinate Makebi’s character, they have labelled him a malukula (a pejorative word for mortuary attendant) who bullies or manipulates the family for personal gain from Lungu’s death. Makebi has handled the slander with quiet tolerance and maturity.

The UPND and the surrogates, including Laura Miti, have gone on to insult the Lungu family while some have gone further to insult the dead man himself. Hakainde has continued to disparage Lungu even in death after insulting him while he was president and after he lost power. They have continued to call Lungu, Mundubile, and Makebi thieves (ba pompwe) even when they have not been convicted or even sued by the state.

Either Hichilema’s government is grossly negligent and incompetent, or they are devilishly malicious and legally reckless. The UPND government know that Lungu, Makebi, Mundubile are thieves and for five years have let them walk freely enjoying the loot from the suffering Zambian people? Mundubile has said, “If I have stolen, come and get me.” Zambians pay a lot of money for Hichilema’s government to arrest thieves and sent them to jail. Do we accept that he and his people now come pointing to us, “Don’t vote for these thieves?” Is that how stupid they think we are? Well, back to the body.

So, News Diggers, Nalumango, Kachanana, Nevers, Miles and other Hichilema mouthpieces cannot come today and claim Mundubile and Makebi are delaying the burial to use it for campaigns. Lungu could have been buried a year ago in Zambia or in South Africa; Hichilema blocked both chances. Now the independent Supreme Court of South Africa says the Lungu family should superintend the funeral and burial, it’s entirely up to them when they bury.

If I were part of the Lungu family or if I had access to them, I’d say, “Hold on, don’t bury our late president now.” If you bury now in South Africa, you would be denying the Zambian people who love or respect the former president a chance to pay their last respects. In the eyes of many people, Lungu was a humble, loving, and lovable man. A president who jogged with the people and laughed spontaneously with people across the country.

If you bury him now in Zambia, the funeral could be hijacked upon landing with a funeral by the UPND and by invitation only. Many who truly loved and respected him would be excluded. If Hichilema does not hijack the funeral from you, Lungu and yourselves will be subject to the most inhumane insults and indignity by Hichilema’s followers. Memes will be created, and your faces scrutinised, and your tears labelled crocodile tears. They will have a field day of spewing their most hateful vitriol.

If you wait for the elections to pass and Mundubile wins, then you can bring Edgar’s body home. This would honour Zambians who support him not because he was perfect like Hichilema, but in his humble ways, tried the best he could for Mother Zambia. It will be a momentous event that helps heal some of the trauma you and many Zambians have been subjected to. If Hichilema wins, which is increasingly dawning on me is next to impossible, then proceed and bury Edgar in Zimbabwe or Malawi where as many as possible Zambians who wish to mourn their beloved former president can pay their last respect.

My thinking is common sense and easy to see. Mundubile wants to be president of Zambia. It would be irresponsible for him not to tell the people what he will do about this important matter. He didn’t cause Lungu’s death or burial impasse. Somebody else did. He is simply stating an obvious thing to the voters with whom the message will resonate. It was the UPND folly to treat Lungu the way they did alive and dead and expect no vote implication from those who continue to cherish his leadership and anybody else with an average sense of empathy and fairness.