ECL: The Humble Man Who Walked Away From Power
ECL: The Humble Man Who Walked Away From Power
Amb. Anthony Mukwita wrote:
06 June 25-LUSAKA
In a continent where leaders often rule until they’re wheeled out of office—clutching the Constitution in one hand and the national treasury in the other—Edgar Chagwa Lungu stood out like a sore but elegant thumb.
He may not have been perfect (No leader is), but he pulled off a near-impossible feat in African politics: he peacefully handed over power and didn’t burn down the house on his way out.
Born on 11 November 1956 at Ndola Central Hospital, Edgar Lungu grew up in Chimwemwe, one of those Zambian townships where dreams and poverty compete for space.
His father, Padule Saili Lungu, served as a domestic helper for a Catholic priest—a humbling job. His mother, Tasila, hustled the markets to keep the family afloat.
These humble beginnings would later define his compassion for Zambia’s downtrodden. Poverty, it seems, was not just something he read about in reports—it was the air he once breathed, survived and conquered.
Fast forward to UNZA (University of Zambia), where Lungu studied law and graduated top of his class. Sharp mind, steady nerves, and a quiet resolve made him a man to watch.
His rise in politics wasn’t meteoric—it was hard earned and calculated to a point
President Michael Sata first appointed him, deputy vice president, Deputy Minister, but Lungu’s calm and competence quickly earned him top portfolios: Home Affairs, Justice, Defence, and even CEO of the ruling party.
Then came Sata’s death in 2014—a political thunderstorm. The ruling Patriotic Front (PF) was in turmoil, with ten internal candidates clawing for power.
Lungu, in a dramatic moment of selflessness, stepped back, citing the biblical story of King Solomon and the disputed baby. His gesture touched hearts.
The party, like the real mother in the biblical tale, gave him the “baby.” Lungu became Zambia’s sixth Republican President on 25 January 2015.
He got to work fast. One of his boldest moves was restoring the 50% plus one vote requirement for presidential victories—a democratic principle that some of his predecessors had buried out of fear. He believed in legitimacy through the ballot, not backroom deals.
On the economic front, he tried to return ownership of Zambia’s mines to Zambians, stepping on a few foreign toes in the process.
His administration expanded infrastructure: roads, bridges, airports, and maize production soared thanks to increased agricultural subsidies. Lungu believed food was peace—and he made sure the maize bins were full.
But ECL wasn’t all steel and cement. He was also known for his humility and deep listening, even when what was being said was, frankly, rubbish. “He would sit there, nod gently, and just let you finish,” one aide once said. “Then he’d give you an answer that reminded you who was boss.”
He didn’t like punishing people, preferring diplomacy over drama. He laughed easily, even at jokes that weren’t that funny, and rarely raised his voice unless it really mattered.
The 2021 election was tough, and when the Zambian people decided it was time for change, he conceded peacefully. No army on the streets. No disputed results screamed over megaphones.
Just a statesman walking away. Later, when he tried to make a political comeback, he even gave up his presidential retirement benefits—a move that was as dramatic as it was principled.
That alone put him in rare air on a continent where ex-presidents cling to perks like oxygen masks.
In his personal life, he was a devoted husband to Esther Lungu, a former First Lady with her own social footprint, and a loving father and grandfather.
His family grounded him, and his faith gave him focus—he was a devout Christian who often quoted Scripture in speeches and reflected spiritual calm in times of chaos.
Even tragedy couldn’t break him. The Gabon air disaster, which claimed the entire Zambian national soccer team, cast a long shadow over the nation.
Lungu’s leadership helped win billions of kwacha in compensation for the bereaved families—a rare moment where political action met true compassion, probono.
Looking back, what defines Edgar Lungu isn’t that he built things—though he did. It’s that he listened, he served, and he left. In Africa, that’s revolutionary.
In the age of strongmen, Lungu was a gentleman with backbone. In the era of populists, he was a pragmatist who smiled through storms.
And in a region where leaders die in office, Lungu left with dignity intact and jokes still in his pocket.
He had the last laugh and his last word last week was a love message to his wife Esther, wishing her happy birthday this week, then the sound of silence.
Condolences are pouring in from everywhere including President Hichilema his successor.
As Zambia and the world remember his journey, it’s clear: Edgar Chagwa Lungu didn’t just rule. He led.
###
Amb. Anthony Mukwita is a published author and International Relations analyst, official biographer of Edgar Lungu’s book ‘Against all Odds.’
