South African Court Halts Plans to Bury Former Zambian President Edgar Lungu
A South African court has temporarily halted plans to bury former Zambian President Edgar Lungu at a private ceremony just as the funeral was about to commence. The announcement was made to mourners in a church in South Africa after a funeral mass had already concluded marking a significant development in the ongoing dispute over Lungu’s burial arrangements.
The controversy stems from a disagreement between Lungu’s family and the Zambian government. The family had opted for a private funeral in South Africa instead of a full state funeral in Zambia. In response, the Zambian government filed an urgent application with the Pretoria High Court seeking to prevent the burial planned by the family. The court ruled that the funeral would not proceed following an “agreement between the parties,” though it indicated that any funeral would likely be postponed until at least August.
This legal tussle adds to the long-standing tensions between Lungu’s family and the current Zambian administration led by President Hakainde Hichilema. The family had expressed a desire to handle Lungu’s funeral arrangements including the repatriation of his remains to Zambia while authorities sought to take control of the process. The dispute intensified after the family claimed that Lungu had expressed that Hichilema should not attend his funeral.
Hichilema, on the other hand has maintained that Lungu as a former president, “belongs to the nation of Zambia” and should be buried in the country. The Zambian government argues that personal wishes should not override the public interest citing past cases like that of founding President Kenneth Kaunda. In 2021, Kaunda’s family stated he preferred to be buried next to his wife but the government proceeded to inter him at Embassy Memorial Park in Lusaka.
The Pretoria court has set deadlines for submissions from both sides: Zambian Attorney General Mulilo D. Kabesha has until July 4 to file an “amended notice of motion” supporting Lungu’s repatriation while Lungu’s family has until July 11 to submit their opposing papers. The court indicated that the matter will be heard as a “special motion” on August 4, 2025 with the costs of the urgent application to be determined then.
The ongoing dispute highlights the strained relationship between Lungu and his successor, Hichilema, which has persisted both during and after Lungu’s presidency. Notably, during his time in office, Hichilema was detained for over 100 days on treason charges after his motorcade allegedly refused to give way to Lungu’s convoy.
