23/06/2025
BY Simon Mulenga Mwila
The sudden passing and final decision to bury our former Republican President Edgar Chagwa Lungu in South Africa has left a deep wound in the hearts of many Zambians. For a man who once held the reins of this nation, commanded the military, and led Zambia through a turbulent global health crisis, being laid to rest far away from home feels like the final injustice in a long string of political hostilities. This moment should have united the nation in collective mourning, reflection, and healing. Instead, it has become yet another reminder of the divisions that continue to haunt our political landscape.
Before we begin pointing fingers, we must trace back the road that brought us here. When President Lungu left power in 2021, the new administration under President Hakainde Hichilema, for lack of a better term, practically placed him under house arrest. His movements were heavily restricted. Who can forget the time he was forcefully removed from a plane while attempting to travel to South Africa for medical attention? A former head of state denied basic dignity… that incident alone was a red flag for what lay ahead.
The manner in which he left Zambia was sad. He took advantage of the presence of a UN rapporteur to quietly leave through the airport, and as a result, the manager who facilitated his exit was dismissed by the National Airports Corporation. These are not signs of a country at peace with its past leaders.
President ECL had retired peacefully and, like any man who had served his country, deserved that rest. But because of public speculation when he was seen jogging suspicions rose that he was staging a political comeback. The state, feeling threatened, allegedly began sponsoring figures like Miles Sampa, Robert Chabinga, Chama America and Mr. “Ground” to undermine ECL’s influence in the PF. With the help of government machinery, the PF was forcibly taken away from its rightful leadership. The infamous “illegal” convention held by Miles Sampa on 24th October 2023 with complete state security presence was not just an internal party issue, but a political power play sanctioned at the highest level.
It was in that climate of betrayal and calculated exclusion that ECL made the bold declaration, on 28th October 2023, that he was returning to active politics. The government swiftly stripped him of his presidential benefits, stopped paying his rent, and effectively pushed him out of his residence in Ibex Hill. He moved to Chifwema not as a free man, but as a man being politically punished for daring to reclaim his voice.
But fairness demands we reflect honestly: was ECL kind to HH when he himself was in power? Sadly, the answer is NO. Under ECL’s watch, then opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema was arrested over a traffic incident and charged with treason which was a clear abuse of state power. He spent 128 days in a maximum-security prison, most of them in isolation, while his house that he treasures so much and has refused to leave it for State House was raided and his family tear-gassed. That period marked one of Zambia’s darkest chapters in democratic treatment of opposition leaders.
It is apparent that both men HH and ECL have suffered from and perpetuated political vengeance. And that cycle of retribution must end. When HH assumed power, many of those close to ECL i.e his children, close allies, and wealthy PF-aligned businessmen found themselves in court, facing charges many feel are less about justice and more about crippling the PF’s political muscle. Yet despite this wide net of legal pursuit, not a single case has yet been decisively proven in court against ECL himself. The accusations often fell back on vague references to “proceeds of crime,” without clearly established crimes.
Perhaps it’s time we rethink our laws and politics. Maybe we need clear legislation around presidential gifts and assets… We need a transparent system where a portion benefits the state while the rest is accounted for through proper documentation. Presidents, like any human beings, receive favors and gestures of goodwill. Let’s not pretend otherwise. But let’s also stop using the law as a political weapon, a tool for vengeance.
ECL was not perfect. No leader is. But he presided over Zambia during a time of global crisis and managed to maintain peace and order. During COVID-19, while stronger economies crumbled, Zambia held together under his leadership. He stabilized the nation to the best of his ability. And for many of us, especially the younger generation of politicians, ECL was an inspiration a comman lawyer from Chawama who reminded us that leadership is within reach.
That is why his burial in a foreign land is so painful. It denies Zambians the chance to say goodbye to a man who was once their commander-in-chief, their president, their leader. It’s not just about ECL; it’s about the dignity of the office of the presidency and the message we are sending to future leaders of this nation. Are we telling them that political rivalry ends in exile, humiliation, and erasure?
This should be a moment of national reflection. Let this tragedy serve as a turning point. Let us learn to be kinder to one another. Let our politics be driven not by vengeance, but by values. Let those who come after Lungu and Hichilema see in us a nation capable of learning from its pain, of reconciling, of rising above partisanship.
ECL may be gone, but the lessons of his life and the bitter end he endured are still here and calling on us to be better, to be honest, to be Zambian.
May his soul rest in peace. And may God guide Zambia toward healing and unity. 📌
