As the nation observes a seven-day period of national mourning, uncertainty continues to cloud the final arrangements for the late president’s burial. The impasse stems from disagreements between government authorities and members of Lungu’s family and close associates, with each side standing firm on how the burial should proceed.

Former presidential spokesperson and political analyst Dickson Jere has called for calm and compromise, warning against Zambia joining a league of Southern African nations where similar disputes have occurred.

“Angola, Zimbabwe, and even Ghana provide cautionary tales,” Jere said. “In Angola, it took over a month to resolve the burial site of late President Eduardo Dos Santos after family members insisted on a private burial in Spain, where he died. The Angolan government, however, maintained that he deserved a state burial in Luanda.”

Similarly, in Zimbabwe, the death of former President Robert Mugabe in 2019 led to a standoff between his family and the government. Despite plans for a state burial at Heroes Acre in Harare—where national heroes, including Mugabe’s first wife Sally, are interred—his widow Grace Mugabe insisted he be buried in his home village in Zvimba. The government eventually conceded.

Zambia is no stranger to such tensions. In June 2021, a dispute arose during the funeral of founding father Dr. Kenneth Kaunda. Some family members wanted him buried next to his wife, Betty Kaunda, in line with what they claimed were his final wishes. Eventually, a compromise was reached, and Kaunda was buried at the official Presidential Burial Site in Lusaka.

Other African nations have also struggled with similar issues. Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah, was buried three times—first in Guinea, then in his home village after a state funeral in Accra, and later reburied again in the capital. To this day, some of his relatives still campaign for his remains to be returned to his village.

With President Lungu’s burial arrangements still pending, many Zambians are calling for unity and dignity in the process. Emotions remain high, with factions within the late president’s inner circle accused of exploiting the situation for political leverage, while the government insists it is merely fulfilling its constitutional obligations.

“There is no need to point fingers,” Jere emphasized. “This is a time for national healing, not division. With mature leadership and compromise, I am optimistic that a resolution will be reached before the mourning period ends.”