UP UPND blame PF politicalian for using Lungu’s death for their own gain

The United Party for National Development (UPND) Media Director Mark Simuuwe has strongly criticized opposition politicians who he believes are taking advantage of the death of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu to gain cheap political points as we approach the 2026 general elections.

In a pointed interview with South Africa’s Newzroom Afrika, Mr. Simuuwe accused a group within the Patriotic Front (PF), led by Secretary General Raphael Nakacinda, of being hypocritical and trying to benefit from the nation’s sorrow.

He stated that the current debate surrounding the burial of the late president is not based on legal reasons or the country’s best interests, but instead on political opportunism.

Mr. Nakacinda recently sparked a national discussion on South Africa’s Newzroom Afrika when he claimed that President Hakainde Hichilema should not give former President Lungu a State funeral, saying that he never acknowledged Lungu’s presidency and that doing so now would be hypocritical.

However, Mr. Simuuwe rejected Nakacinda’s comments as “an insult to the dignity of the nation” and highlighted that State funerals do not require approval from political parties.

He stressed that Zambia has legal rules like the Presidential Burial Site Act and previous legal cases that state former presidents should be buried at the designated Presidential Embassy Park in Lusaka.

Referring to the important Kaweche Kaunda vs. Attorney General case, Mr. Simuuwe argued that a former president is not just a private citizen, but a public figure whose burial is a matter of public concern.

“Kenneth Kaunda, Frederick Chiluba, Levy Mwanawasa, Rupiah Banda, and Michael Sata were all laid to rest at Embassy Park. The hypocrisy from the PF is shocking,” he said.

He cautioned that the PF’s talk about digging up President Lungu’s body after the next election if he is buried in Zambia is both provocative and disrespectful.

“This isn’t a campaign rally; it’s a time for national mourning. Death should bring us together, not tear us apart.