Edgar Lungu’s body has been handed to Zambian authorities after a long legal dispute with his family over burial arrangements.
The High Court in Pretoria has formally transferred the body of former Zambian president Edgar Lungu to Zambian authorities, clearing the way for a state funeral in Lusaka after nearly a year of legal disputes with his family. The ruling follows the family’s decision to abandon an appeal in South Africa’s higher courts.
Lungu’s body had remained in a South African morgue since his death on June 5, 2025. A prolonged dispute between his family and the Zambian government delayed funeral arrangements and repatriation.
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Zambia’s Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha confirmed the latest development in a statement. He said the transfer followed the family’s decision not to continue with their case before the South African Supreme Court of Appeal.
“The mortal remains of the former president have since been relocated from Two Mountains Burial Services (PTY) Limited to a facility managed by the South African government,” Kabesha said.
The transfer gives effect to an earlier Pretoria High Court ruling issued on August 8, 2025. In that judgment, the court ordered that Lungu’s body be released to the Zambian government to allow preparations for repatriation and burial in Lusaka.
Kabesha said the government would now engage with Lungu’s family to finalise burial arrangements. He added that the Zambian public would be informed once dates and funeral details are agreed.
Edgar Lungu served as Zambia’s sixth republican president from 2015 until 2021. He died in South Africa while reportedly receiving medical treatment.
His death triggered an immediate dispute between relatives and the administration of President Hakainde Hichilema. The family wanted Lungu buried in South Africa, while the government insisted that a former head of state should receive a state funeral in Zambia.
The disagreement was influenced by years of political tension between Lungu and Hichilema. During Lungu’s presidency, Hichilema was jailed in 2017 after a politically charged confrontation.
In later years, Lungu accused Hichilema’s government of harassment and of blocking his travel to South Africa for medical treatment. The Zambian government denied those allegations.
Members of Lungu’s family also publicly stated that the former president did not want Hichilema involved in his funeral proceedings. This added further complexity to the dispute over burial arrangements.
When the Zambian government approached South African courts for legal intervention, the Pretoria High Court ruled that the family did not have the final authority to block a state funeral.
“A former president’s personal wishes or the wishes of his family cannot outweigh the right of the state to honour that individual with a state funeral,” the court said in its judgment.
The family had been ordered to surrender the body immediately and later sought to challenge the ruling on appeal. That appeal has now been withdrawn, leaving the earlier court order in force.
No official date has yet been announced for the repatriation flight to Lusaka or for the state funeral. However, the latest court action clears the main legal obstacle that had delayed the burial process.
The case has drawn significant public attention in Zambia and the region, highlighting tensions between state protocol, family wishes and political divisions after the death of a former national leader.
