By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Former Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu was remembered in a church service in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, South Africa.
The family had planned the private ceremony instead a prayer service was held at the Cathedral.
This follows the court order prevented the family from burying the former president as planned before a final ruling.
The legal challenge by the Zambian government against Lungu’s burial in South Africa was the latest development in a nearly monthlong dispute with Lungu’s family over the details of his funeral and final resting place.
Lungu’s wife, Esther. who was visibly upset, arrived at the cathedral shortly after the judge’s order and a mass was held instead. The judge ordered a full hearing to take place on 4 August.
Lungu died on June 5 in Pretoria at the age of 68 from cardiac complications during surgery, after undergoing specialized medical treatment.
Family spokesperson Makebi Zulu, says his death should not be used as a publicity stunt by the Zambian government.
Zulu spoke to the media on the sidelines of a church service in Hillbrow in Johannesburg.
“How did he come on a commercial flight, flying economy, got to this place, walk through security clearance and immigration like a normal person? Waited for uber outside the airport? Is that a life of a former president? Certainly not! And his death should not be used as a PR stunt by the government of the Republic of Zambia. That story we shall tell in court. And evidence shall be brought before the court. But we will exonerate President Chagwa Lungu and his family, “said Zulu.
Zulu added that the former president had been stripped of all his benefits, including health insurance prior to his passing.
Lungu and current president Hakainde Hichilema had a long history of political enmity in the southern African country.
Lungu beat Hichilema in a 2016 presidential election, and his government imprisoned Hichilema for four months in 2017 on charges of treason because his convoy didn’t give way to the president’s motorcade on a road. The move to imprison Hichilema was widely criticized by the international community and Hichilema was released and the charges dropped.
Hichilema defeated Lungu in a 2021 vote. Last year, Lungu accused Hichilema’s government of using the police to restrict his movements and effectively place him under house arrest.
Lungu also accused the government of interfering in a court case that prevented him from running again in next year’s presidential election against Hichilema.
Despite the legal complications, the court has granted Lungu’s family the right to visit his body at the mortuary while these proceedings unfold.
Lungu’s wife, and their children have faced various corruption charges. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of stealing cars, which she was due to face in court this week.