Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has dismissed witchcraft insinuations in the death of his predecessor and political rival Edgar Lungu.
Lungu died in a South African hospital of an undisclosed illness on June 5 and has been the centre of a legal battle between his widow and President Hichilema’s government regarding plans for the burial.
South Africa's Constitutional Court this month ordered Lungu’s family to surrender the former president’s body to Zambian authorities for repatriation home where he is meant to be honoured with a state funeral, which Hichilema is expected preside over.
In an interview with veteran journalist Martine Dennis on her “Africa Here and Now” podcast, Hichilema apologised over the fallout on Lungu’s burial plans.
"We are sorry about exposing the family, the country, the region, the world to this unfortunate situation, he said.
Hichilema and his now-late predecessor were bitter political rivals. Hichilema defeated Lungu in the August 2021 presidential elections.
Witchcraft claims
In the interview, the president also addressed public insinuations and claims by Lungu's party, the Patriotic Front, that Hichilema wants to use the body for witchcraft.
"Personally I don't believe in witchcraft, never believed in witchcraft, as a person, as a family, as a Christian. That now such a subject can take a centre stage is regrettable,” he said.
"Let's focus on the work at hand , let's bury our sixth president with military honours as the five (former presidents) before him were buried. There is no malice, there should be no issue of witchcraft,” the president added.
Hichilema sounded confident of addressing concerns of Lungu’s family - his widowed wife and her children have been charged with corruption and possession of suspected proceeds of crime in what the family has claimed is part of a political vendetta.
“We are also conscious of the feelings of the family, the concerns that they have. A number of those can be dealt with after an honourable burial and we are available to do that,” the president said.
