Late Former Zambian President Eulogized as Servant Leader Who Trusted God Despite Isolation

“My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu’s own life was not without questioning and silent recollection,” he said, referring to his journey from humble beginnings, through the legal profession, into politics, and ultimately to the presidency.

He added, “Just like many of us, he had both strengths and weaknesses, and imperfections. For all the good, we give glory and thanks to God and for all shortcomings, we entrust him to God's mercy.”

In his June 25 homily, the Zambian Catholic Church leader recognized the late President’s “humility and silent strength” during his Presidency and encouraged Zambians to emulate the values he espoused, particularly his steadfast Christian faith and his view of leadership as a vocation of service.

“President Edgar Chagwa Lungu ruled our country in trying times, a time of drought, a time of COVID-19, a battered economy,” the Catholic Church leader said during the June 25 Funeral Mass in honour of the late former Zambian president, who passed on aged 68 at a medical facility in South Africa on June 5.

He noted that despite all the challenges, the late former Head of State “showed resilience and dedication to public service, maintaining the country's peace, superintending over massive infrastructure developments across the country.”

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Archbishop Banda further described the former late president’s peaceful handover of power to the incumbent, President Hakainde Hichilema, as an act of “prudence and humility.”

“He did not exhibit the acts of desperation for power, but a recognition that leadership is stewardship and not ownership,” he said.

The Local Ordinary of the Lusaka Archdiocese since his installation in April 2018 called upon Zambians to honour their former President’s legacy by fostering humility, integrity, and service-centred leadership “in renewed dedication to peace, harmony and dignity.”

“The Zambia he loved, the Zambia he saved, should be the Zambia we create anew going forward,” Archbishop Banda said.

Meanwhile, the burial of the late former President remains in limbo after a South African court issued an injunction on June 25, halting the previous plans for it.

According to a June 25 BBC News report, “The Zambian government had filed an urgent case in the Pretoria High Court seeking to stop the burial planned by his family” to take place at “a private ceremony” in South Africa.

“The news was only announced to mourners in a church in South Africa after a funeral mass had already finished,” the BBC News report indicates, referring to the “row between the government and Lungu's family over his burial, after the family opted for a private ceremony in South Africa, rather than a full state funeral at home.”

The BBC News report explains that “the dispute follows a long-standing feud between Lungu and his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema, with Lungu's family saying he had indicated that Hichilema should not attend his funeral.”

Earlier, on June 19 church leaders, including representatives of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) called on both the government and the Lungu family to “find common ground” in the burial arrangements.

“It is regrettable that the funeral of a former Head of State remains in limbo,” the church leaders said, referring to the “uncertainty” surrounding the repatriation and burial of the late president, which was initially scheduled for June 18 afternoon.

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In their June 19 statement, the church leaders in Zambia lamented the state of uncertainty noting, “It is affecting the general functioning of the nation, which remains in mourning.”

In the court ruling, the Pretoria court reportedly gave Zambian attorney general, Mulilo D Kabesha, until July 4 to submit his "amended notice of motion" in support of Lungu's repatriation to Zambia.

Meanwhile, the former President’s family has until July 11 to file their opposing papers. "This matter will be heard as a special motion on the 4th of August 2025," the court reportedly said.

Nicholas Waigwa is a Kenyan multimedia journalist and broadcast technician with a professional background in creating engaging news stories and broadcasting content across multiple media platforms. He is passionate about the media apostolate and Catholic Church communication.