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'It's coming home' - the undignified row over the body of Zambia's ex-president
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| Contributor | IndyGeorgia |
| Last Edited | IndyGeorgia Aug 15, 2025 07:06pm |
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| Category | News |
| Author | Kennedy Gondwe |
| News Date | Friday, August 15, 2025 01:00:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | "It's coming home!" – a phrase indelibly linked to English football fans – has now gained currency among some Zambians in the battle over what to do with the body of former President Edgar Lungu.
The 68-year-old died two months ago in South Africa where he was being treated for an undisclosed illness.
In the latest episode of what is now a full-blown saga, a Pretoria court ruled in the Zambian government's favour, saying that in the public interest, Lungu's remains can be repatriated and given a state funeral, against the wishes of the family.
The decision triggered celebrations among some governing party supporters, who shared Facebook posts with the phrase: "It's coming home," as if Zambia had won a trophy.
An undignified response, perhaps, but it has come to symbolise how divisive and partisan this has become.
For some, who are fed up with the row, the sorrow and grief that came with Lungu's passing have faded into feelings of fatigue.
But despite a host of more pressing economic problems, public discussions continue to be dominated by the fallout from the death of the former president, who led the country for six years from 2015.
The seeds of the controversy were sown in the feud between Lungu and his successor – the man who soundly beat him in the 2021 election – Hakainde Hichilema. But it has now spiralled into a row laced with wild accusations of witchcraft. |
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