IT’S ABOUT DIGNITY

Johannesburg | July 3, 2025

The family of the late President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has condemned what they describe as a public relations campaign by the Zambian government, accusing the state of prioritizing optics over sincerity in handling the former Head of State’s funeral arrangements.

Speaking from Johannesburg, family spokesperson Makebi Zulu disclosed that even high-level mediation efforts by former regional leaders had collapsed, citing a consistent pattern of dishonesty and backtracking by the Zambian government.

“If the government was truthful, they would tell you that things that were agreed between the president and President Bakili Muluzi… the president changed his mind later on,” said Zulu.

“There have been other former presidents involved as well, but each time we made progress, the government shifted the goalposts.”

The disappointment is not just procedural, but deeply personal, according to the family.

“What the family wants is a dignified send-off,” Zulu emphasized.

“A dignified send-off cannot occur in a climate where all the state machinery, or indeed the media, has been organized against the family.”

He went on to accuse state-owned and aligned media of deliberately framing the family as uncooperative and unreasonable, thereby manipulating public perception while ignoring the family’s repeated appeals for dignity, sincerity, and mutual respect.

According to Mr. Zulu, the initial conversations with the state began on June 6, just one day after the President’s death. However, as discussions progressed, the government allegedly continued to alter terms that had already been agreed upon.

“This is not about politics. This is about respect,” Zulu insisted.

“Respect for a man who led this nation. Respect for a grieving family. And respect for truth.”

CREDIT: Smart Eagles