Zambia’s Election Overshadowed By Unresolved Burial Dispute Over Late President Lungu

Zambia heads to the polls on 13 August in one of its most unpredictable elections in years, with the unresolved burial of former President Edgar Lungu casting a long shadow over the campaign. Lungu died more than a year ago in South Africa, but his body remains unburied amid a bitter standoff between President Hakainde Hichilema and the Lungu family, a dispute that has deepened political divisions across the country.

More than eight million registered voters will choose from 14 presidential candidates and elect a new parliament. Hichilema, seeking a second term under the United Party for National Development, is looking to build on his landslide 2021 victory over Lungu. His core support base spans the south, west and north-west, and his campaign is working to expand that reach nationwide. The burial saga has energised the opposition, particularly the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP), which draws strength from the northern regions long considered strongholds of Lungu’s Patriotic Front.

In Lusaka, campaign energy is unmistakable. Markets buzz with campaign jingles, and election posters cover lamp posts, shopfronts and billboards across the capital.

The cost of living remains the dominant issue for ordinary Zambians. Although annual inflation has eased to around 6.6 percent, its lowest level in eight years, and the kwacha has strengthened, many households say the relief has yet to reach their pockets. Flour-mill worker Given Kangwa, 27, said his monthly pay of roughly 3,000 kwacha barely covers food and rent. Street-food vendor Theresa Zulu echoed similar frustration, saying it has become increasingly difficult to get by. Cooking oil prices have risen more than 70 percent over the past five years, compounding pressure on households already strained by a severe 2024-2025 drought that triggered power outages of up to 20 hours a day. Increased electricity imports and expanded solar projects have since eased the blackouts, though the memory of the crisis lingers among voters.

Hichilema has defended his administration’s record, saying he inherited a country in economic decline and debt distress. His government restructured more than $13 billion in external debt, generating annual savings the president says are being channelled into investment and free education. The policy, covering primary and secondary levels, has brought millions of children back into classrooms, while thousands of teachers and health workers have been hired and constituency development funds increased. Copper production has rebounded, foreign reserves have hit record highs, and unemployment has edged down from 13 to 11 percent over four years. Still, critics argue these gains have not sufficiently reached ordinary families, and civil society groups have raised concerns over the treatment of opposition figures convicted of hate speech.

Lungu’s death on 5 June last year reshaped the political landscape. Courts had already barred him from running for a third term, but his passing fractured the Patriotic Front, with supporters scattering to other opposition camps. That fragmentation gave rise to Brian Mundubile, a 55-year-old lawyer and former government chief whip under Lungu, who has rapidly consolidated opposition support under the Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance and the NRPUP banner. His running mate, Makebi Zulu, is a lawyer closely tied to the Lungu family. Mundubile has framed his campaign around youth and women, pledging to position himself as a government that listens rather than dictates, and has publicly promised to ensure Lungu receives a dignified burial if elected.

The burial dispute continues to resonate as a powerful political symbol, with the Lungu family refusing to allow Hichilema any involvement in funeral arrangements. Reactions among voters are mixed: some see the opposition as the country’s best chance for renewal, while others, recalling past governance and corruption concerns under previous administrations, remain wary of a return to power for Lungu’s political allies.

This election marks the first held under sweeping constitutional reforms passed in late 2025, which introduced a mixed-member parliamentary system. Constituency seats have expanded from 156 to 226, alongside 40 new proportional representation seats reserved for women, youth under 35, and persons with disabilities. Despite the reforms, gender representation on the presidential ballot remains limited, with independent candidate Given Katuta the only woman among the 14 contenders. A candidate needs more than 50 percent of the vote to win outright, failing which a runoff would be triggered within 37 days, a real possibility given the fragmented field.

Concerns have also emerged over the independence of the electoral commission, with rights activist Linda Kasonde questioning the political alignment of some commission members and raising doubts about impartiality in the run-up to the vote. The commission has rejected the allegations, maintaining that it operates transparently and within its constitutional mandate.

Zambia has long been regarded as a model of peaceful democratic transition in the region. As voters weigh economic gains against everyday hardship, and as the unresolved question of Lungu’s final resting place continues to stir emotion, this year’s election stands out as one of the country’s most closely contested in recent memory. Zambians will deliver their verdict on 13 August.