Lusaka, Monday | 30 June 2025 – Kaweche Kaunda, son of Zambia’s first Republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, has made an emotional plea to the family of the late sixth President Edgar Lungu, urging them to reconsider their decision to bury him in South Africa.
Speaking on ZNBC TV1’s Sunday interview programme, Mr. Kaunda described the ongoing impasse over the former leader’s burial as “divisive to the nation and an embarrassment to the outside world.” He appealed to the Lungu family to allow President Lungu’s body to be repatriated to Zambia, emphasising that any outstanding issues could be resolved after laying him to rest.
Reflecting on his own family’s experience, Kaweche revealed that despite his father’s wish to be buried beside his wife, Betty Kaunda, at their State Lodge residence, the Kaunda family prioritised national unity. “We looked at the bigger picture—Zambia—and allowed the state to bury him at Embassy Park,” he said.
Echoing his sentiments, Paramount Chief Mpezeni’s representative, Induna George Zulu, who also featured on the programme, appealed to the late president’s widow, Esther Lungu, not to let politicians exploit the family’s grief for their own gain.
Ambassador Zulu expressed concern that some political figures were capitalising on the situation, turning a moment of mourning into a political battleground. He urged the bereaved family to “heal and allow President Lungu to be buried at home, where he belongs.”
As the nation waits for a resolution, many Zambians hope the Lungu family will heed these calls, allowing the country to honour its former leader with dignity and unity.
What are your thoughts? Should the late President Edgar Lungu be buried in Zambia? Share your views with us.
