ECL accepted defeat – family

In spite of pressure from his colleagues to petition the outcome of the 2021 election on account of violence and irregularities, President Lungu accepted defeat for the greater good of the country.

By BARNABAS ZULU

THE family of late former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has expressed grave concern that President Hakainde Hichilema has continued attacking and demonising his predecessor, accusing him of allegedly refusing to hand over power and plotting assassination attempts over his life when he was in opposition.
The claims, the family feels were unfortunate considering that the government had sent Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa to South Africa on a reconciliation mission.
Officially opening the UPND secretariat in Kitwe on Sunday, President Hichilema claimed that there was resistance from his predecessor to vacate the office although he knew he had won the presidency by August 13 in 2021.
The President also claimed that he had survived several assassinations attempts on his life during Mr Lungu’s tenure and that it was God’s divine desire that he was still alive as he was destined to be President of Zambia.
But the family has expressed dismay that President Hichilema could launch an attack against his predecessor, currently in a morgue and unburied.
Family spokesperson Makebi Zulu said in a statement yesterday that President Hichilema’s claim that Mr. Lungu resisted handing over power in 2021 was false and unjust.
“The family is aware of the statements issued by President Hakainde Hichilema on the 24th of August 2025 while touring the Copperbelt, which tended to insult the legacy of the former President, when he alleged that there was resistance to hand over power when in fact not,” Mr. Zulu said.
He said Mr Lungu willingly conceded defeat and ensured a smooth transition.
“As the former President cannot speak for himself, we take this opportunity to correct that position and state that Mr Lungu was a democrat who willingly handed over power to President Hakainde Hichilema,” he said.
Mr. Zulu recalled that former President Lungu publicly conceded defeat during the burial of then Patriotic Front North-Western Province chairperson and central committee member Jackson Kungo in 2021, who was murdered by UPND cadres, a strong ground on which the elections would have been petitioned.
“He (former President Lungu) had refused strong persuasion from the party to petition against the results and was actively facilitating a smooth handover of power to the President-elect,” he said.
The family also refuted President Hichilema’s claims that he was once a target of alleged assassination attempts, dismissing innuendos that the late President was involved.
He said the family expected sincerity and decency in public discourse, especially at a time when government, through Mr Kangwa, had opened the door to negotiations regarding the burial.
“We pray for sincerity and decency to prevail as the environment for suggested negotiations is being fostered in a hope for subsequent resolution of this matter. When trust is broken, deliberate and genuine steps must be taken to rebuild it,” Mr. Zulu said.