South Africa civil society groups petition Zambia over Lungu burial

Coalition of South African Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), led by the Progressive Forces of South Africa, has formally petitioned the Zambian Government through its Embassy in Pretoria, calling for the burial of Zambia’s 6th Republican President, Edgar Chagwa Lungu, to take place on Zambian soil.

The petition, delivered on Thursday, July 17, 2025, follows a press briefing convened by the Progressive Forces in partnership with Defend South Africa and Concerned Citizens of South Africa. The CSOs expressed concern over growing speculation surrounding the late former president’s presence in South Africa prior to his death.

The organisations are demanding clarity from the South African Government on allegations that Mr. Lungu may have been admitted to a South African hospital under a false identity. They also called on Zambia’s former First Family to return home and cooperate with ongoing legal processes.

In their joint statement, the CSOs stressed that their petition is not a personal attack on the Lungu family but rather a principled appeal for justice, accountability, and national dignity.

“The late President Lungu served Zambia and must be laid to rest in the land he once led,” the coalition said, reaffirming their stance that his burial should take place in Zambia, in line with national values and traditions.

GroundTruth Zambia | 21st July, 2025.