A GOOD Governance activist has declared that the unresolved burial of Edgar Lungu is more serious than Zambia’s upcoming elections, arguing that the nation cannot move forward without closure.
Speaking on Crown TV last night, Mutumba said the late president has “two open graves” and that secrecy around his burial undermines national dignity.
Mutumba explained the gravity of the situation, saying it is more serious than anything else.
“Do you know that it’s even more serious than elections? How will people look at us, where we are comfortably bidding to govern and yet we are refusing to bury the former Head of State?” Mutumba questioned.
He has insisted that burial must precede politics.
“We are Africans, we are Zambians, we have a culture. You can’t go for a party before you bury. You can’t have a wedding before you bury,” he added
Mutumba has also accused the Lungu’s family representative Makebi Zulu of exploiting the situation.
“Makebi says he was ordained by ECL. He claims to be the chosen one. But how do you demonstrate that you are capable of leading before you bury the one you are getting powers from?” Mutumba said.
He has further warned that the burial issue was undermining democracy.
“This issue is bigger than elections. It is about national dignity. Until we bury ECL properly, Zambia cannot move forward,” Mutumba said.
He also said that Zambians must demand closure before going to the polls.
Mutumba further said ignoring the burial issue would be a betrayal of national values.
“If we go to elections without burying ECL, we will have betrayed our culture, our law, and our respect for leadership,” Mutumba said.
Since Lungu’s death on June 5 last year, his, burial remains stalled in South Africa following a protracted dispute where The Zambian government insists on a state funeral at Embassy Park in Lusaka, whereas the family is fighting to keep the burial private in South Africa.
Although the Pretoria High Court ordered that the body must be returned to Zambia for a state funeral, on August 8, 2025, and denied an appeal in September 2025, the family filed a petition with the Supreme Court of Appeal to stop the repatriation.
The former president’s body reportedly remains under tight security at Two Mountains Funeral Services in South Africa, which is authorized to hold it until legal proceedings are finalised.
By Daniel Banda
Kalemba March 16, 2026
