The Editor Zambia
The continued delay in the burial of former President Edgar Lungu is no longer a simple matter of disagreement between the State and the bereaved.
It has evolved into a calculated political spectacle—one driven less by grief and more by opportunism. 
Contrary to the loud chorus from opposition political figures, the blame does not lie with President Hakainde Hichilema or his government. It rests squarely with the Lungu family and the political machinery surrounding it.
For nearly ten months, the remains of a former Head of State have lain in a foreign mortuary. That fact alone should disturb any reasonable observer.
But what is even more disturbing is how the situation has been manipulated to score political points, manufacture outrage, and sustain a narrative of grievance against the government.
At the centre of this politicisation is the Lungu family itself, which has allowed, and perhaps encouraged, the matter to spiral into a national standoff.
Instead of working toward a dignified and timely resolution, the family has taken positions that have repeatedly complicated efforts to bring closure.
The involvement of political figures like Makebi Zulu—a lawyer who has effectively transitioned into a political actor in this saga—only reinforces the perception that this is no longer about mourning but about political messaging.
Zulu’s public posture has been less about legal clarity and more about political agitation, feeding a narrative that pits the family against the State.
This is not how national mourning should be conducted. It is how political campaigns are run.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders such as Fred M’membe have predictably seized on the impasse to attack the presidency.
Their calls for government restraint and deference to the family would carry more weight if they were not so transparently selective.
The same voices that now preach compassion were conspicuously silent—or complicit—when political expediency trumped national unity in the past.
This is the pattern: weaponise a sensitive issue, amplify public emotion, and direct all blame toward the government. It is opportunism at its most cynical.
Even more troubling is the creeping tribalisation of the issue. What should be a solemn, unifying moment has instead been dragged into the dangerous terrain of identity politics.
The emergence of a Bemba clergy voice, such as Bishop Solomon Mbulo, aligning with calls that subtly echo tribal undertones, risks deepening divisions in an already sensitive environment.
Zambia cannot afford to reduce the burial of a former president into a contest of ethnic or political allegiance.
Let us be clear: the State has a legitimate role in the burial of a former Head of State. This is not merely a private affair but a matter of national protocol, dignity, and historical record.
Any government—regardless of party—would be expected to ensure that such a burial reflects the stature of the office once held.
To suggest that President Hichilema should simply “step aside” and allow the process to unfold without State involvement is not only unrealistic but irresponsible. This suggestion ignores the constitutional and ceremonial obligations attached to the presidency.
What is required now is honesty. The ongoing delay is not the result of government intransigence but of a refusal by the family and its political allies to separate grief from politics.
Every press statement, every legal manoeuvre, and every public outcry has only served to prolong the impasse.
Zambians are growing weary. What began as a moment of national mourning has been stretched into a prolonged drama with no end in sight.
The constant pestering of the President, as though he alone holds the key to resolution, is both misplaced and misleading.
If there is to be closure, it must begin with the de-politicisation of the process. The Lungu family must decide whether it seeks dignity or drama. The opposition must decide whether it values national unity or political mileage.
Until then, the country remains hostage to a crisis that should never have lasted this long—not because of government failure, but because of deliberate political choice.
