As Zambia prepares to bury former President Edgar Lungu in South Africa amid allegations of mistreatment by the current administration, a Malawian political and governance commentator has warned that similar tensions could easily erupt in Malawi if not addressed proactively.
After three weeks of wrangling with the government over funeral arrangements, the family of the late Edgar Lungu on Friday officially announced that he will be laid to rest in South Africa in a private ceremony, with the funeral program yet to be made public.
The tension surrounding Lungu’s funeral in Zambia stems from a political rivalry between Lungu and current President Hakainde Hichilema. Lungu and Hichilema have a history of political tension, with Lungu having previously imprisoned Hichilema.
Lungu’s return to politics after his 2021 election loss and his criticisms of Hichilema’s government further fueled the rivalry. Following his death, Lungu’s family reportedly wanted to exclude Hichilema from the funeral proceedings, citing the long-standing political rivalry and past conflicts.
Speaking in an interview in response to the developments across the border, the expert, Wonderful Mkhutche pointed to the often personal nature of relationships between current and former Malawian presidents, saying such dynamics risk undermining national unity and democratic maturity.
“The situation in Zambia can easily happen in Malawi looking at the animosity between current and former Presidents. The two tend to personalise their differences,” said Mkhutche. “But current and former Presidents must know that their relationship should be professional, no matter the differences they may have.”
The commentator stressed the need for clear and direct legal frameworks that define the treatment and entitlements of former leaders, warning against leaving such matters to the goodwill or hostility of sitting presidents.
“We need clear-cut laws on what former Presidents deserve, and this should not be subject to the dictates of the current President,” he emphasised.
He further revealed that Malawi already has formal protections for former presidents in place, but said the question remains whether those provisions are adequate in practice.
“We will have to ask Parliament to look into this. We already have formalised protections. It can only be a subject of whether we have to change or not,” added Mkhutche.
Lungu was born on 11 November 1956, served as the sixth president of Zambia from 26 January 2015 to 24 August 2021. He died on 5 June 2025 at a hospital in South Africa.
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