The former president of Zambia and the undesirable row on his body

“It will return home!” – I collected a phrase linked not to the English football fans – a currency between some Zambians in the battle about what to do with the body of former President Edgar Longo.

The 68 -year -old died two months ago in South Africa, where he was treated due to an unknown disease.

In the last episode of what is now a full epic, the Pretoria Court ruled in favor of the Zambian government, saying that in the public interest, the remains of Longo can be returned home and the funeral of the state, against the desires of the family.

The decision sparked celebrations between some of the ruling party supporters, who participated in Facebook posts with the phrase: “It will return to the homeland,” as if Zambia won a cup.

Perhaps an uncomfortable response, but it has become symbolized by how much this is divided.

For some, who are tired of the class, the sadness and sadness that came with the death of Lungu in the feelings of fatigue.

But despite a group of more urgent economic problems, public discussions are still dominated by repercussions from the death of the former president, who led the country for six years in 2015.

The seeds of the controversy were planted in the dispute between Longo and his successor – the man who struck him properly in the 2021 elections – Haknde Heshelama. But she is now escalating in a row filled with wilderness for magic.

When the judge in South Africa issued his referee last week, the anger that followed from the old LunGu sister was saying.

Bertha Longo stormed anger, crying in an irreplaceable way because she has given insufficient words to the Public Prosecutor at Zambia Mulilo Kabisha, who was also present in court.

“Kapisha, Longo is not your father’s son … he is not the son of Hakinde … this is really painful. I don’t want to go to Zambia,” she shouted while people, including her niece’s daughter, Tasila Longo, were struggling for comfort and covering her mouth.

The body has not been returned to Zambia yet because the Lungu family resumes the decision of the South African judge – a case that is scheduled to be heard on Monday.

It was assumed that all this was settled in June, when the family initially agreed that there could be a government funeral in Zambia. But the plans had falter to a dispute over the role that President Hishilima plays.

The Longo family said that one of his desires that die is that Hichilema should not go anywhere near his body.

The key to understanding hostility was more than 100 days when Hichilema, the opposition leader at the time, spent the detention in 2017, awaiting the charges of treason.

He was accused of exposing President Linju at the time after his motorcade refused to give way to those who transfer the head of state.

The charges were only dropped after the Secretary -General of the Commonwealth. This was one of several times the Hichilema was arrested while he was in the opposition.

In turn, the lung claimed persecution under Hishilma. Tasila and the widow of the former president, Esther, continue to confront the corruption they deny.

The Lungu family pledged that she was ready to wait for the court’s operation as long as it took to ensure that they are buried, even if that means the operation stops, according to their Makebi Zulu spokesman.

They insist that while they were open to the burial of Lungu in Zambia, they want to honor his desires not to attend this event.

But the authorities are determined that the former president must be awarded a government funeral that he will bring behind and give them a suitable transmission as a former president.

The government indicated, through the public prosecutor, that Lungu should be buried without the family’s involvement.

“If they want a precedent, let them give us reasons because the current president is not approaching the coffin. He told the state broadcaster Znbc.

“We are ready as a government to discuss the family, we will never ignore the family unless the family goes … but the family has the right to say:” We do not come, we are not part of it. “Then we will praise and burial without them.”

There is no Zambian law stipulating how the former presidents are buried.

Traditionally, all former leaders were given the state funerals and buried in Embassy Park, which is especially dedicated to them.

Schewa Sishwa, a Zambi historian and a senior lecturer at Stellinbush University in South Africa, does not strongly agree on the idea that Longo can be buried without his family’s involvement.

“Such reckless data is not culturally sensitive, the government’s allegations are undermined that its actions are driven by the desire to implement a generous burial, and indicate that political considerations instead of the public interest are the main engines in play,” he told the BBC.

“Hesheilma’s failure to restrain the unbridled officials and supporters may fed the president that the president agrees to this behavior and thus increasing the divisions.”

He argues that he has publicly indicated that he would stay away from the funeral, and Longo could have been buried long ago.

Dr. Sechoa says that the design of the authorities to take the body of LunGu from the sadness family – in the name of giving him a decent funeral – not only worried political divisions, but also feed the belief that palpation is Belief in magic is widely.

Navir Mumba, leader of the Multiple Democracy Movement, who is in a political alliance with the Heshilma Party, defended the president.

“What leads (the president) is not an obsession, but it is a deep feeling deep in duty. Haknde Hachelima never abandons anything that he follows as long as he thought he was doing the right thing,” Mumba, who is also a priest, wrote on his Facebook page.

“He fights, with a clear conscience to the end, and continues to improve his methods until he gets it properly.”

How long will this battle continue unknown, but several episodes of the epic have not been written.

Zambians may ignore and try to focus on other matters, but they will be attracted to the debate about whether the body should “go home”.