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A South African court has halted the planned burial of Zambia’s late former president, Edgar Lungu, following a dramatic last-minute legal intervention by the Zambian government. The burial, which was set to take place at a private ceremony in South Africa, was stopped just moments before it was due to begin—news that was only shared with mourners after a funeral mass had already concluded.
This development marks the latest twist in a tense and deeply personal dispute between Lungu’s family and the Zambian state. The family, honouring what they say were Lungu’s wishes, had planned a private burial outside of Zambia, keeping the state at arm’s length. However, the Zambian government pushed back, filing an urgent application in the Pretoria High Court to stop the funeral and repatriate the former president’s remains.
While the court ruled that the burial should not proceed based on an agreement between both parties, it also signalled that a final resolution would not be reached until August. Specifically, the case has been scheduled as a special motion to be heard on 4 August 2025. The Zambian Attorney General, Mulilo D. Kabesha has been given until 4 July to submit a revised motion in favour of repatriation, while Lungu’s family must respond by 11 July.
The dispute has laid bare the enduring animosity between Lungu and his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema—a feud that defined much of their political careers and now casts a shadow over the late president’s death. Following Lungu’s passing in South Africa at the age of 68, his family expressed a desire to lead all funeral arrangements, including repatriation, citing Lungu’s preference that President Hichilema not attend his funeral.
Though both parties had initially agreed to a state funeral in Zambia, tensions soon resurfaced over the details, prompting the family to make private burial plans abroad. President Hichilema, however, maintains that Lungu “belongs to the nation of Zambia” and should be laid to rest in his homeland with the full honour accorded to a former head of state.
The government has also drawn comparisons with the burial of Zambia’s founding president, Kenneth Kaunda. In 2021, despite his family’s insistence that he be buried beside his wife, the government proceeded to bury him at the state-designated Embassy Memorial Park in Lusaka—arguing then, as now, that the public interest must prevail.
The unresolved dispute over Lungu’s final resting place reflects the strained legacy of his presidency and the ongoing friction between Zambia’s current and former leaders. Notably, during Lungu’s time in office, Hichilema was arrested and detained for over 100 days on treason charges following a motorcade incident—an episode emblematic of their bitter rivalry.
As the legal battle continues, one thing is clear: even in death, Edgar Lungu remains at the centre of Zambia’s political crosscurrents.
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