President Hichilema Ends National Mourning, Urges Calm After Lungu Burial Stalemate
Published on June 20, 2025 at 12:00 PM by Edgar Naitha
President Hakainde Hichilema has officially declared the end of the National Mourning period, effective June 19, 2025.
He made the announcement during a national address, citing the need for the country to begin returning to normalcy.
Hichilema explained that the government had made multiple efforts to engage the family of the late President Edgar Lungu regarding repatriation of his remains.
A mutual understanding was reportedly reached on June 15 during a joint press briefing in South Africa.
However, despite full preparations, including military honors arranged by the South African Defence Force, the Lungu family later reversed their decision.
As a result, the body of the late President was not repatriated to Zambia as planned on June 18.
President Hichilema apologized to President Cyril Ramaphosa, the South African government, and its people for the inconvenience caused.
He stressed the importance of national unity and order during this time and warned against any acts of lawlessness.
The President expressed gratitude to all Zambian envoys and stakeholders who contributed to resolving the issue and affirmed the government’s openness to continued dialogue with the Lungu family.
