President Hakainde Hichilema has reaffirmed the government’s firm position that the Sixth Former President, Edgar Lungu, should be buried in Zambia.
President Hichilema extended sincere gratitude to the President of South Africa for the care extended to Dr. Lungu during his period of illness.
He was speaking when he received a courtesy call from South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Ozzy, at State House today.
“We held a meaningful and respectful discussion regarding the burial of the late President, during which we reaffirmed our firm position that His Excellency Mr. Lungu should be laid to rest in his homeland, the Republic of Zambia,” he said.
President Hichilema further conveyed the government’s apology to the South African National Defence Force for the unexpected challenges surrounding the repatriation of the late President’s remains on Wednesday, June 18.
This is according to president Hakainde Hichilema’s official Facebook posted today, monitored by Lusaka Star.
Dr. Lungu passed away on June 5 at Mediclinic Medforum Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa, from an undisclosed illness.