The Republican Progressive Party, or RPP, has officially complained to the Law Association of Zambia, known as LAZ, asking them to look into some alleged bad behavior by Lawyer Makebi Zulu.
According to RPP Secretary General Daniel Chungu, the issues involve comments made by Mr. Zulu about the ongoing disagreement over where to bury the late Sixth President, Edgar Lungu.
After handing in the petition at LAZ House in Lusaka on Monday, Mr. Chungu told the media that Mr. Zulu should face disciplinary action or be taken off the list of legal practitioners if he is found to have broken professional rules.
Mr. Chungu accused Mr. Zulu of disrespecting constitutional authority by saying that President Hakainde Hichilema should not be part of Mr. Lungu’s State Funeral.
He also claimed that Mr. Zulu did not provide any legal documents or proof to back up the family’s position on the funeral plans.
Mr. Chungu called Mr. Zulu’s comments about excluding President Hichilema from the funeral unconstitutional, inflammatory, and reckless, especially since Mr. Hichilema is the current Head of State.
The RPP also expressed worries about what they see as a conflict of interest, highlighting Mr. Zulu’s role as both the legal advisor to the late President Lungu and the spokesperson for his family.
Mr. Chungu argued that this situation breaks the rules of professional fairness and client confidentiality.
The burial of the late President has turned into a public issue, with a standoff between the family and the State over where he should be buried and how the State Funeral should be conducted.
The Zambian government has sent the issue to the High Court in Pretoria, South Africa, which has decided to wait until August 4, 2025, to make a judgment.
A hearing for the case is set to happen on July 18, 2025, before the final decision is made.
