Pretoria – South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola has concluded a high-level diplomatic mission to Lusaka regarding the death of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu and the subsequent dispute over his burial place.
Lungu, Zambia’s sixth president, passed away on 5 June 2025 at Mediclinic Medforum Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa.
RELATED: President Cyril Ramaphosa Mourns Passing Of Former Zambia President Edgar Lungu – The Bulrushes
However, the former president has not yet been laid to rest owing to a dispute between his family and the Zambian government that remains unresolved.
The family wants to bury Lungu in South Africa, while the Zambian government insists that it is proper to bury the former president in his home country.
As a Presidential Special Envoy tasked with resolving the impasse, Minister Lamola travelled to Lusaka, where he was received by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, to whom he conveyed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s “profound condolences on behalf of the government and people of South Africa”.
Minister Lamola expressed solidarity with the government and citizens of Zambia following the untimely passing of former president Lungu and assured them of South Africa’s unwavering support during this period of national mourning.
“In reaffirming the South African government’s position, Minister Lamola emphasised that a state burial in Zambia represents the most fitting tribute to honour former president Lungu’s distinguished legacy and service to the Zambian nation,” the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said in a statement made available to The Bulrushes on Monday, 23 June 2025.
“Concurrently, Minister Lamola acknowledged the legal obligation to respect the expressed wishes of the late former President’s immediate family.
“He underscored the government’s commitment to navigating this sensitive matter with the utmost dignity, grace, and mutual respect principles befitting the memory of a revered statesman and the enduring bonds between South Africa and Zambia.
“The Minister extended prayers and sympathies to all affected by this loss and reiterated South Africa’s steadfast friendship with Zambia.”
Last week, President Hichilema ended the national mourning period for his predecessor, citing the need for national normalcy following a prolonged impasse with the Lungu family over the repatriation of his body to Zambia and funeral arrangements.
