Zambia ex-president's family wins latest legal battle over where to bury his body
The family of Zambia's former President Edgar Lungu has won an appeal to have his body buried in South Africa, overturning a high court ruling that allowed the Zambian government to repatriate the corpse for a state funeral.
More than a year after the death of Zambia's former President Edgar Lungu, his family have won their appeal to have his body buried in South Africa, where he died. Tuesday's Supreme Court of Appeal judgement puts an end to the legal battle over his remains, which stemmed from a long-running feud between Lungu and his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema.
The Zambian government has said while it disagrees with the ruling, it will 'not be taking the matter any further'. It had previously argued that Lungu, as a former head of state, should be honoured in the country and laid to rest in the special presidential burial ground in the capital, Lusaka. However, Lungu's family wanted a private burial after negotiations with the government over funeral arrangements broke down.
Last August, the South African high court in Pretoria ruled that Zambia's government could repatriate the body and give him a state funeral, a decision that left Lungu's relatives visibly distraught. The family appealed, but in April Zambia's government announced that Lungu's remains had been 'formally transferred' to the state by the South African court. Just hours later, the same court ordered the government to return the body until the matter was reheard.
The former president died of an undisclosed illness aged 68 at a clinic in Pretoria. His death led to chaos, with mourners receiving conflicting information from the government and his political party, the Patriotic Front. Two separate mourning periods were announced, and at one point there were competing condolence books.
Lungu, who led Zambia from 2015 to 2021, had numerous disputes with Hichilema, who was the opposition leader for years before finally unseating his bitter rival. After Lungu's death, his family said the ex-president did not want Hichilema to be at his funeral or 'anywhere near' his body. In the latest ruling, the judges noted that Lungu 'viewed himself to be persona non grata in his own country' and 'felt that he would not be afforded a dignified send-off' if his successor was present.
