This is after the High Court ruling in Pretoria, South Africa (SA), which temporarily halted the former leader’s burial.

The legal dispute between the government and Lungu’s family over burial arrangements led to court intervention on Tuesday. Haimbe explained the government’s reasoning for seeking judicial clarity, stating that a neutral arbiter was necessary in the matter.

"Sometimes, it is necessary to have a third party, an arbiter, that can then determine where the balance of convenience should lie," said Haimbe. "This is what really informed the decision."

He emphasized that the government’s actions should not be interpreted as unilateral or confrontational but rather as representative of the broader national interest.

“We also have to understand that government cannot be seen as a unitary entity,” he said. “Rather, it must be looked at from the perspective that it is carrying the will and interests of 20 million Zambians on its back.”

--ChannelAfrica--