South African Court Allows Zambia to Repatriate Ex-President Lungu's Body

Sun Oct 19 2025 02:13:16 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The Pretoria high court grants Zambia the right to repatriate the remains of former leader Edgar Lungu for a state funeral, amidst family disputes.

A South African court has determined that Zambia is permitted to repatriate the body of former President Edgar Lungu, who passed away in June. This ruling comes despite opposition from Lungu's family, who preferred a private burial in South Africa. The Pretoria high court sided with the Zambian government, stating that national interests take precedence over personal wishes. Lungu's family had expressed a desire for funeral arrangements and contested the state's authority, but the court concluded that the Zambian government has the rightful claim to the remains.

Judge Aubrey Ledwaba emphasized the entitlement of the Zambian government to repatriate Lungu's body, mandating his family to hand over the remains to authorities promptly. The conflict arose from earlier agreements between the family and Zambian officials regarding a state funeral, which deteriorated after the details of arrangements were contested. Lungu served as president from 2015 until 2021, but his political relationship with his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema, has been fraught with tension, particularly as Lungu allegedly wished to have Hichilema excluded from his funeral proceedings.

This developing story will continue to be updated as new information becomes available.