Edgar Lungu’s return to politics: what it means for Zambia’s future amid court cases, police actions and PF party divisions

Things are getting quite heated in Zambia lately as the former president Edgar Lungu has decided to step back into the political boxing ring. After losing the elections in 2021 and saying he was retiring, many people thought he was done, but he has made a big comeback that is causing a lot of drama between the government and the opposition. It is not just about him though, because his family is also facing a lot of pressure from the law, making this whole Edgar Lungu story something that everyone in Southern Africa is watching closely.

The political comeback of Edgar Lungu and what it means for Zambia

• Main Person: Edgar Lungu, the former President of Zambia who served from 2015 to 2021.
• Key Rival: Hakainde Hichilema, the current President of Zambia (often called HH).
• Political Party: The Patriotic Front (PF), which is the party Lungu led and is now trying to reclaim.
• Important Date: October 28, 2023, is when he officially announced he was coming out of retirement to join active politics again.
• Location: Lusaka, Zambia, where most of the police confrontations and court cases are happening.
• Family Members Involved: His wife, Esther Lungu, and his children, Tasila and Daliso, who are facing various investigations.
• Current Situation: The police have been stopping him from holding public walks or attending certain church events, saying he needs a permit.

To really understand what is going on, we have to look back at the 2021 elections. Edgar Lungu lost by a very big margin to Hakainde Hichilema. At that time, things were tough in Zambia with the economy and high debt. After he left office, he said he was quitting politics, which is what the law requires if a former president wants to keep getting their pension and benefits. But as time went on, he started complaining that the current government was harassing him and his family. You can read more about these kinds of political shifts on our trending news page.

The tension really went up when the government started investigating his wife, Esther Lungu, over some properties and vehicles. Then his children also got into trouble with the law regarding how they got their wealth. Edgar Lungu feels that this is all a “political witch hunt” meant to destroy his name. Because of this, he decided to return to the Patriotic Front to lead them again, but there is another big problem: a man named Miles Sampa also claims he is the real leader of the PF. This has caused a huge split in the party and many court cases.

Lately, the police in Lusaka have been very strict. Every time the former president tries to go for a public walk or visit a market to talk to people, the police show up in riot gear. They say he is trying to start an illegal protest. On social media like Facebook and X, people are arguing every day. Some say the government is being too harsh and acting like a dictatorship, while others say Lungu must face the law for what happened during his time as president. You can see more updates on this story from international news sites like Al Jazeera or the BBC.

Common questions about the Edgar Lungu situation

• Is Edgar Lungu allowed to run for president again in 2026?
  This is a very tricky question. The Zambian constitution has rules about how many times someone can be president. Since he has already been elected twice, many lawyers say he cannot run again, but his supporters are trying to find a way around it in court.
• Why is the police stopping him from jogging or walking in public?
  The Zambian police claim that when a high-profile person like him walks in public, it attracts a huge crowd which becomes an “unlawful assembly” if they didn’t get a permit first.
• What happened to his presidential pension?
  Because he went back into active politics, the government warned that he might lose his retirement benefits, including his salary, security, and office staff, because the law says a retired president must stay out of politics to get those perks.
• What are the charges against his wife, Esther Lungu?
  She has been questioned and even arrested before regarding the ownership of certain properties and some motor vehicles that the state suspects were obtained through “proceeds of crime,” though she denies all of this.
• Who is leading the Patriotic Front (PF) party right now?
  It is a big mess. Edgar Lungu says he is the leader, but the government recognizes Miles Sampa as the leader. This has led to the party being divided into two groups who are fighting in the courts.
• Why did he decide to come back to politics now?
  He says he came back to “save” his party from being destroyed and to defend himself and his family from what he calls unfair treatment by the current administration.