A ZIMBABWEAN born investigative journalist has thrown himself into the legal tug of war over the body of former president Edgar Lungu, demanding that Lungu be returned to his home country for a military burial.
Simbarashe Chikanza, founder of ZimEye Media and a UK based anti-corruption documentarian, has applied to be joined as a co-applicant in a case brought by the Zambian government in the South African High Court, Gauteng Division.
The case challenges the decision to bury Lungu in South Africa amid swirling speculation and political tension.
In a sworn affidavit filed on July 25, Chikanza expressed grave concern that Lungu’s funeral was being hijacked by what he described as “media misinformation” and “identity fraud syndicates” operating within the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
“I could end up legally stranded in South Africa together with two million news subscribers as a consequence of the burial of Edgar Lungu there,” stated Chikanza in the affidavit.
“This is not just about one man’s funeral, it’s about the long term consequences of misinformation campaigns that destabilise the region.”
Chikanza accused specific SABC contributors, including journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and Africa Editor Sophie Mokoena, of using the word “tension” to exaggerate Zambia’s political situation and justify the late former president’s burial outside his homeland.
“These assertions are misleading and disrespectful to the sovereignty of Zambia and its late President’s legacy,” Chikanza argued. “They risk fomenting unnecessary international disputes and social instability.”
He also claimed the term “tension” had previously been used to fuel unrest in Zimbabwe and Mozambique and warned that its use in the Zambian context could provoke similar consequences.
He described himself as a victim of the same media narratives.
“As a result of this ‘tension’ accusation propelled by the SABC contributor Hopewell Chin’ono, my subscribers have begun fleeing to South Africa to claim asylum since 2018,” he wrote.
In his affidavit, Chikanza called on the court to ensure that Lungu’s body is handed over to the Zambian Defence Forces for burial in a manner befitting a former Head of State and Commander In Chief.
He also urged the court to issue orders preventing what he called “external media interference” from SABC.
Chikanza took aim at his fellow journalist directly, accusing him of using multiple identities and pushing narratives that have, in his view, incited military violence in Zimbabwe and now threaten to undermine the gravity of human rights violations already recognised by South Africa’s own judiciary.
He warned that allowing such narratives to influence legal proceedings would not only set a dangerous precedent but also exacerbate displacement patterns across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
He also suggested that if the court was to allow the burial of Lungu in South Africa, it should then grant similar rights to every Zimbabwean, Mozambican and Zambian citizen so that they are also laid to rest on South African soil.
Attached to his application were video clips, correspondence with SABC compliance officers and investigative reports he claims prove a coordinated effort to “delegitimise” civil society across the region.
A ruling on the matter is expected on Monday, August 4, 2025.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, August 1, 2025
