The issue surrounding the burial of late former Zambian President Edgar Lungu has escalated into a significant national debate, with his family, political leaders, and the government presenting diverging viewpoints on the legal process and the appropriate resting place. At the heart of the matter is a court case initiated by the government against Lungu's grieving family, which Citizens First Party leader Harry Kalaba has urged the government to withdraw. Kalaba emphasized that the country needs healing and the family requires closure, which can only begin when the late President is allowed to rest in peace, possibly in South Africa, as per his reported wish not to have President Hakainde Hichilema near his body.

Kalaba, speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka, criticized President Hichilema for squandering opportunities to resolve the matter amicably, questioning why the President has insisted on seeing Lungu's body despite allegedly never acknowledging him during his seven years in office. He deemed the government's legal action to compel the family to release the body for a state-presided funeral program, against Lungu's express wishes, as taboo, shameful, and an embarrassment for the nation. Kalaba also called for intensified prayers from the Church, viewing the situation as spiritual warfare, and urged citizens to continue supporting the Lungu family.

Conversely, Minister of Information and Media, Cornelius Mweetwa, clarified that the legal process concerning the repatriation and burial was initiated in the public interest, denying any malicious intent or blackmail. Mweetwa asserted the government's commitment to an amicable resolution, acknowledging that a court judgment might not align with the wishes of many Zambians who prefer Lungu to be buried alongside other former Heads of State at the Presidential Burial Site. He highlighted the site's significance as a national monument symbolizing unity under the “One Zambia, One Nation” motto, and stated that President Hichilema wishes to uphold the tradition of interring former presidents in a common resting place. Mweetwa called for restraint from political players and media, appealing for the Lungu family to be afforded space to mourn with dignity.

However, the Lungu family has firmly and emotionally rejected the government’s proposal for mediation, terming it insincere, poorly communicated, and disrespectful to their grief. Mulundika Mukelebai questioned the government's sincerity in pursuing dialogue after dragging a grieving widow to a Pretoria courtroom. He described the lawsuit as a national shame and a contradiction, especially in light of what he detailed as a relentless campaign of humiliation and hostility against President Lungu during his lifetime. This included mockery, police surveillance during his morning jogs, vulgar threats, international humiliation through removal from a plane, alleged denial of medical access, and being publicly disrespected. Mukelebai criticized what he perceived as “selective morality,” arguing that the Zambian people cannot forget the pain inflicted on their former Head of State merely because it is politically convenient to speak of unity. He stressed that genuine healing requires confronting the truth of past treatment and acknowledging the pain caused to Lungu, his family, and his supporters, emphasizing that respect, like legacy, must be constant in both life and death, not seasonal.