President Hakainde Hichilema delivered a comprehensive media briefing at State House on Thursday, April 30, 2026, addressing a range of national issues. He forcefully dismissed allegations of witchcraft against him, citing his role as a church elder and questioning why he wouldn't have used such skills during his time in opposition. This comes amid renewed social media speculation regarding traditional beliefs and statecraft.

A significant portion of the briefing was dedicated to the passing of Zambia’s sixth Republican President, Edgar Chagwa Lungu. President Hichilema called for national unity and dignity in the funeral arrangements, advocating for a state funeral with full military honours, reflecting Lungu's status as a former Head of State and Commander-in-Chief. He also maintained that former President Lungu must be buried at Embassy Park, the official burial site for Zambia’s past presidents, citing the precedent set during the burial of first President Kenneth Kaunda. President Hichilema commended Lungu for upholding this precedent during Kaunda's funeral, despite family resistance at the time. He stressed that consistency must be upheld in honouring national leaders and that leadership entails upholding the Constitution and serving all citizens equally.

On the economic front, President Hichilema confirmed an impending upward adjustment in fuel prices, attributing this to rising international market prices, which he described as circumstances beyond Zambia's control. The Energy Regulation Board is expected to announce new pump prices in its next monthly review. While acknowledging Zambia as a price taker in the global oil market, the government remains committed to cushioning vulnerable citizens through targeted social protection programs.

Regarding the energy sector, President Hichilema provided an update on the government's long-term generation target of 10,000MW, noting that load shedding is largely under control. This target is part of the UPND administration’s Integrated Resource Plan to achieve energy self-sufficiency and position Zambia as a net exporter. Recent developments include the commissioning of the 136MW CEC Solar Plant in Kitwe and improved water levels in major hydropower reservoirs following the 2025/2026 rainy season, which has reduced load management hours across several provinces.

The President linked the recent appreciation of the Zambian Kwacha to stronger performance in the mining sector, particularly copper. The government is targeting K39 billion from copper alone, aiming to raise annual copper production to 3 million tonnes in the coming years. New investments, such as the Min’gomba Mine in Chililabombwe, are expected to contribute significantly to output. The Bank of Zambia has also noted increased foreign exchange inflows from mineral royalties and taxes, supporting the local currency. President Hichilema emphasized that mineral wealth must benefit every Zambian and spoke of ensuring safe mining practices, particularly for artisanal and small-scale miners.

He also highlighted the fiscal space created by Zambia’s debt restructuring deal, concluded in 2024. The restructuring reduced annual external debt service by about $1.4 billion, freeing up $1.4 billion that would have been paid annually to lenders from $2.3 billion to $900 million. These savings are being redirected to critical sectors like health, education, agriculture, and infrastructure, including the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which now stands at K40 million per constituency. President Hichilema cited Mumbwa district as an example of successful decentralized development, attracting over 1 billion in investments under the UPND government.

The President concluded by emphasizing employment as a key measure of government performance, noting that over 220,000 jobs have been created since 2021 across various sectors. The government continues to pair large-scale projects with support for SMEs and youth skills training to ensure broad-based job creation.

In a separate but related development, the legal dispute surrounding the remains of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu continued in South Africa. On April 30, 2026, the Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa, sitting in Pretoria, issued a fresh order, setting aside an earlier urgent ex parte order from April 22, 2026. This new order directs that the late President’s body be placed in the care of AVBOB Pretoria East, with all related costs to be borne by the Government of Zambia. This ruling followed an urgent application brought by former First Lady Esther Lungu and other family members against several parties, including the Zambian government and the South African Police Service.

The previous order from April 22 had temporarily placed custody of the remains with the family, but the new consent order, signed by both the Zambian government and the Lungu family, nullified it. The family spokesperson, Makebi Zulu, described the new court-supervised arrangement as a necessary step to move the matter forward, particularly after the body was reportedly moved from Two Mountains Burial Services to Forensic Pathology Services without the family's permission, which they described as a violation of dignity and rights. The family challenged this unauthorized movement and obtained an order to secure the body.

The Pretoria High Court's ruling specifies that access to the body at AVBOB Pretoria East will be strictly limited to immediate family members. Any other party seeking access must apply to the court with notice to the Lungu family. This clause is a crucial legal intervention, ensuring that no one can unilaterally control, inspect, move, or interfere with the body without proper notice and a court order. While the Lungu family views this as a partial restoration of dignity, the Zambian government stated it welcomes the development, noting it never intended for the situation to become a dispute over custody.

The Zambian Attorney General, Mulilo Kabesha, confirmed that the body would be moved to the new mortuary on Monday, April 30, 2026, as requested by the family to be present during the transfer. The matter remains before the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa, and the Zambian government has expressed openness to engaging with the family for an amicable resolution to ensure a dignified burial for the late former Head of State. This ongoing legal and political battle highlights the bitter rivalry between the late President Lungu and President Hichilema, leaving the former President unburied for nearly ten months amidst disagreements over burial protocol and the state's involvement versus the family's wishes for a dignified send-off.