HAKAINDE HICHILEMA CAN STILL RECONCILE WITH EDGAR LUNGU IN MAKEBI ZULU: LET US FIND A PEACEFUL WAY TO LAY PRESIDENT EDGAR LUNGU TO REST

By Harry Henry Lungu

Let us talk about this matter with open hearts, compassion and a genuine desire for peace. Reconciliation is still possible. There is still room for dialogue, understanding and a peaceful solution. The way forward is here in Zambia, among us as Zambians. We must find it together.

These are deeply divided positions, but surely they do not have to become a permanent national wound. What appears complicated can still be resolved if those involved are willing to put the interests of Zambia above personal and political differences.

We cannot discuss reconciliation honestly without looking at the history between the two leaders. During the previous political era, Hakainde Hichilema faced treason charges and spent time in detention. He maintained that he had committed no offence. Today, members of the opposition, including Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu, face serious charges that they have denied. Their cases must be handled through the courts, with respect for due process and the presumption of innocence.

The political circumstances are different, but the lesson remains the same: Zambia must never allow political rivalry to become a cycle of resentment, retaliation and suffering.

Did the reconciliation between President Hakainde Hichilema and President Edgar Lungu ever go deep enough?

Did their discussions genuinely resolve their differences, or did they primarily concern political competition and the peaceful transfer of power? Why did the hostility appear to continue even after Edgar Lungu announced his retirement from active politics?

These are difficult questions, but asking them does not mean taking sides. It means trying to understand how a country that has enjoyed a reputation for peace can prevent political disagreements from becoming wounds that remain open for generations.

Whatever the answers may be, this is not the time to reopen old wounds merely to assign blame. It is time to ask what can still be done to heal them.

Today, President Hakainde Hichilema is alive and serving as Head of State, while the late former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu remains at the centre of a painful national dispute over his final resting place. His family, supporters and many citizens want him to be laid to rest with dignity. Others have concerns involving national protocol, the office of the President and the role of the Commander-in-Chief.

We must recognise the humanity in this situation. Behind the political arguments is a family grieving its loved one, supporters mourning a leader they admired, and a nation watching a painful chapter unfold.

A burial should be an occasion for mourning, dignity and the beginning of healing, not another battleground for political confrontation.

The late President cannot speak for himself today. But his life, his legacy and the circumstances surrounding his final resting place continue to speak to the conscience of the nation. We must be careful not to turn his burial into a contest over who has greater political power.

SO, WHAT IS THE WAY FORWARD?

I believe that the door to reconciliation should remain open.

President Hakainde Hichilema and representatives of the Lungu family should be given an opportunity to engage in a sincere, respectful and private dialogue. Such a meeting should not be about humiliating anyone, forcing anyone to surrender or declaring one side the winner.

It should be about finding common ground.

An apology, where sincerely offered and accepted, can be a powerful beginning. If either side believes it was wronged, there should be room to acknowledge that pain. President Hichilema and the late President Lungu had their differences, and there may be grievances that still require honest reflection. The aim should not be to impose blame without hearing both sides, but to create space for healing.

The family should be heard with compassion. The concerns of the State should be explained clearly and respectfully. Traditional leaders, church leaders and other trusted, neutral Zambians could help facilitate an agreement that respects the law, national protocol, the dignity of the deceased and the wishes of the family as far as reasonably possible.

Any final arrangement should be clearly communicated to the nation so that speculation and misinformation do not deepen the divisions.

If a peaceful and mutually acceptable solution can be reached, the burial should proceed with dignity, and all parties should be encouraged to treat the occasion as a moment of national mourning rather than political victory.

The President has an opportunity to demonstrate leadership through compassion. Equally, those representing the late President have an opportunity to approach the matter with openness, patience and a genuine willingness to reach an agreement.

Leadership is not measured only by the ability to stand firm. Sometimes, it is measured by the courage to listen, the wisdom to compromise and the humility to extend a hand when the nation needs healing.

ECL-MAKEBI ZULU, THE LUNGU FAMILY AND STATE HOUSE MUST FIND A TABLE FOR PEACE.

Makebi Zulu has become one of the prominent voices associated with the late President’s legacy. He and other representatives of the family and those speaking for the State should be willing to sit down and engage constructively.

As a nation, we cannot allow this matter to drag on indefinitely while emotions continue to rise. The consequences of prolonged division will be felt not only by today’s politicians but also by future generations.

There is a Bemba saying: “Wapyana ishina eupanoko.” In matters of inheritance, a name can carry both honour and responsibility. Those who carry forward the name and legacy of a departed leader must also carry the responsibility of seeking peace.

We must remember that the President is the Head of State, but the nation belongs to all its citizens. Government authority and national protocol matter, just as family dignity, compassion and respect for the dead matter.

Neither side should be made to feel that reconciliation requires the destruction of its dignity. A genuine agreement must allow all parties to step back from confrontation without feeling defeated.

ZAMBIA MUST COME FIRST.

I appeal to President Hakainde Hichilema, the Lungu family, Makebi Zulu, political leaders, traditional leaders, the Church and every concerned Zambian: let us make peace possible.

Let us lower our voices, open our hearts and give dialogue a chance. Let us not turn grief into another political campaign or allow the burial of a former Head of State to become a lasting symbol of national division.

History will remember how we handled this moment. It will remember whether we chose confrontation or compassion, bitterness or understanding, division or unity.

President Edgar Chagwa Lungu deserves to be remembered with dignity. His family deserves to grieve with dignity. President Hakainde Hichilema deserves the opportunity to exercise leadership in a way that protects national peace. And the people of Zambia deserve closure.

The question is no longer simply who is right or who is wrong. The question is whether we can find a peaceful way forward that allows the nation to heal.

We can disagree politically and still be one people. We can demand accountability and still practise compassion. We can defend our positions without allowing our differences to destroy the peace we share.

Let the men and women involved find a table, let the honest conversations begin, and let Zambia be bigger than any individual or political party.

May wisdom guide our leaders, comfort the bereaved, and help our nation find a peaceful path towards reconciliation.

Zambia first. Peace first. Humanity first.

By Harry Henry Lungu