….warns against burial abroad, urges Hichilema to personally meet Lungu family…
Amid rising national tensions following the death of former Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, prominent businessman and philanthropist Willah J. Mudolo, Chairman of Summerplace Holding (SPH Group), is calling for unity, compassion, and a dignified homecoming for the late leader.
In an address titled “A Call for Unity, Dialogue, and National Dignity in Honour of Our Late President, Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu,” Mudolo decried the government’s initial handling of the late president’s final days and warned against politicising his passing.
He expressed deep concern over reports that Lungu may be buried outside Zambia, saying, “Such a scenario, if allowed to unfold, would dishonour his legacy, inflict permanent harm on our national conscience, and set a dangerous precedent for how we treat our leaders, those who have held the highest office in the land.”
While acknowledging the missteps by authorities including alleged restrictions on the late President’s medical travel to South Africa, Mudolo urged Zambians to resist calls for vengeance or division.
“In life, we may argue over leadership. In death, however, we must find common ground in our shared humanity. That is why I call upon all Zambians to unite in ensuring that our late President is brought back home and buried in the soil of the country he led,” Mudolo said.
At the heart of the unfolding crisis, he said, is a grieving family deserving of respect, empathy, and meaningful engagement. Mudolo called on President Hakainde Hichilema to lead by example by personally engaging with the Lungu family in South Africa.
“This is not a task for delegated officials or political intermediaries. It is a moment that requires presence, humility, and fatherhood. Mr. President, you have a unique opportunity to heal this wound and demonstrate to the nation that you lead not with partisanship, but with heart,” he added.
Mudolo revealed he has been working behind the scenes with former SADC Heads of State, including Malawi’s ex-president Bakili Muluzi, to mediate the situation. He commended the legal intervention by Zambia’s Attorney General as a timely move that provided space for reflection and diplomacy.
He warned that failing to honour the late president properly could erode institutional trust, national identity, and Zambia’s global image and in closing, he called for national healing and for the burial of Lungu to become a turning point, not a symbol of fracture.
