President Edgar Lungu’s Death and the Crisis of Leadership in Southern Africa

By Modester Kamupinda

The passing of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu should have been a moment of national reflection and solemn unity. Instead, it has devolved into a high-stakes political crisis that now entangles Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and the broader Southern African Development Community (SADC). At the heart of the controversy is not only the refusal to allow his remains to return home but the disturbing way in which his death is being weaponized for political gain.

The abuse of diplomatic protocols, politicization of mourning, and legal interventions are symptomatic of deeper governance challenges and inter-state tensions within the Southern African region.

At the center of the dispute is the shocking revelation that Lungu was in possession of a Zimbabwean passport at the time of his death, with some sources hinting that it was infact a Zimbabwe diplomatic passport issued by the President’s office. This has triggered legal scrutiny in South Africa, where a court today halted his burial, citing fraudulent documentation. It’s a dramatic development with far-reaching implications. Not just for the immediate handling of Lungu’s remains, but for regional diplomatic integrity.

South Africa’s ruling validates growing concerns about the abuse of diplomatic privilege in Zimbabwe, and most recently by the United States. Over the past few years, an increasing number of individuals associated with Zimbabwe’s highest office, some foreign nationals with no formal diplomatic duties, have reportedly acquired Zimbabwean diplomatic passports. These documents have allegedly been used to evade scrutiny, conduct business under legal protections, and, in some cases, facilitate illicit activities including cross-border gold smuggling.

The refusal to allow the former president’s corpse to be repatriated to Zambia has sparked outrage among ordinary Zambians who expected at least a dignified farewell for a former head of state. However, leaked conversations between political insiders suggest that elements within the opposition Patriotic Front (PF), along with some members of Lungu’s family, are have been deliberately dragging, obstructing and in some instances reversing progress in reconciliation efforts. Their aim appears to be to embarrass President Hakainde Hichilema (HH), frame his government as vindictive, and position the PF as victims of state persecution.

This is a deeply troubling development. When a nation can no longer separate private grief from political strategy. A former president’s funeral becoming a stage for partisan revenge is a sign of loss of moral compass, and sets a dangerous precedent. If the death of a former leader can be turned into political ammunition, what does that say about the region’s commitment to reconciliation, transitional justice, and democratic maturity?

What should have been a domestic matter has now spilled across borders. Zimbabwe’s role in secretly granting Lungu a passport (diplomatic or not) raises serious questions about state complicity in circumventing national processes. South Africa’s judiciary while trying to strike a balance, risks placing diplomatic strain on Pretoria-Harare-Lusaka relations.

There’s also the broader SADC dimension. If key member states are seen to be aiding or tolerating moves that undermine the current Zambian administration, the bloc risks losing its credibility as a forum for stability and cooperation. At a time when African regional institutions must assert their ability to provide credible ‘African solutions to African problems’, this crisis has tested the leadership’s integrity. It has also exposed how easily personal grudges, cross-border alliances, political expediency override rational and constructive resolutions for the greater good.

President HH now finds himself in a complex position. If he presses too hard, he risks being seen as authoritarian. If he remains silent, his leadership may appear weak or indifferent. Yet observers note that he has so far exercised restraint, recently reaching out to Zambian socio-political leaders to facilitate reconciliation, even amid provocative political maneuvering and public criticism.

While the current climate is toxic, not all is lost. Following the court verdicts, sources close to development have mentioned efforts to bring stakeholders to the table and ongoing meetings between political party secretaries, envoys of the governments of South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, as well as attempts at backchannel dialogue. There’s recognition that only dialogue, not court orders or media spin, can resolve this.

And therein lies the region’s opportunity to turn a moment of shame into a blueprint for healing and reform.

Current efforts at constructive dialogue must be supported, not undermined. The involvement of regional mediators, perhaps under AU or SADC auspices, may help restore a measure of neutrality to the process. While regional actors must step in, the should not as enablers of political expediency, but as facilitators of peace and justice.

South Africa’s judiciary has done its part by halting unlawful burial procedures, now its diplomats must ensure the crisis doesn’t evolve into a lasting diplomatic rupture.

But time is critical. The longer this crisis drags on, the more damage it does to Zambia’s reputation, to the regional order, and to the legacy of a man who, regardless of political affiliation, deserves a dignified farewell.

This crisis isn’t just about where Edgar Lungu is buried. It’s about what kind of politics Southern Africa is willing to tolerate. If political players are allowed to use a dead man’s body as leverage, if borders and diplomatic protocols are bent to suit partisan ends, then we’re not just witnessing a scandal, we’re watching the erosion of basic decency in governance.

Now is the time for real leadership that places nation above party, and dignity above ego. Reconciliation is still possible, but only if those involved stop trying to score political points and start trying to heal a country, a party, and a region.

Let the departed President Lungu rest. And let Southern Africa find a way forward that honors both the living and the dead.

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