Death and state funeral of Edgar Lungu

Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the sixth president of Zambia, died on 5 June 2025 in Pretoria, South Africa, at the age of 68, while undergoing treatment for cardiac complications related to an undisclosed illness. The Zambian government declared a seven-day period of national mourning, which was later extended by nine more days—bringing the total to 16—though it was eventually cut short to 12 days amid a standoff with the Lungu family.

Following initial disagreements between his family and the Patriotic Front over state protocols, a compromise was reached. Lungu’s body was scheduled for repatriation to Lusaka on 18 June 2025, with a state funeral planned for 22 June and burial on 23 June at Embassy Park, the official burial ground for Zambian presidents. Upon arrival, the body was to be received with full military honours and taken to his residence to lie in state. From 19 to 21 June, it would have been placed at the Mulungushi International Conference Center in Lusaka for public viewing.

However, on 18 June, the Lungu family abruptly halted the planned repatriation, accusing the government of breaching the terms of the agreement. The following day, President Hakainde Hichilema formally ended the national mourning period, stating that Zambia could not remain in a state of indefinite mourning. He affirmed that Lungu deserved to be buried in Zambia with full honours and added, “Our doors, as Government, remain open for further engagement, as appropriate.” The decision marked an unprecedented moment in Zambian history: the conclusion of an official mourning period before the burial of a former head of state.