Lungu funeral row continues as family says President Hichilema not welcome

The row over the funeral of inclined Zambian president Edgar Lungu presentations no signal of letting up after his family launched on Friday that Lungu had left instructions that the present president, Hakainde Hichilema, might perhaps perhaps well also honest calm not be allowed “anywhere advance his body.”

Lungu died in South Africa last week at the age of 68 from an undisclosed illness. He was president from 2015 to 2021 and had a prolonged-standing rivalry with Hichilema, who defeated him within the 2021 election after making an strive and failing on 5 old occasions.

Lungu’s occasion, the Patriotic Front (PF), claims that he had been barred from leaving the nation to notice clinical treatment for several years.  

The federal government has equipped to repatriate Lungu’s body and preserve a disclose funeral nonetheless his family and the PF contain refused, accusing officials of making an strive to rob over the ceremony.

Election row

Lungu was president in 2015 to total the duration of time of Michael Sata after he died in place of work. Lungu was elected to a elephantine presidential duration of time in 2016, beating present Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema.

Lungu had sought to hiss Hichilema in next yr’s presidential election nonetheless a court last yr barred him from standing. The court ruled his time as president from 2015-2016 counted as a elephantine duration of time and talked about he had, therefore, served the utmost length of two phrases.

Lungu alleged there was political interference within the court ruling. His wife and other family contributors contain confronted corruption allegations.

Lungu claimed last yr that his movements had been being monitored by police and he had successfully been placed beneath condominium arrest to restrict his return to politics. Police talked about it was well-liked to video display inclined presidents for his or her security.