Judgement Day: Pretoria Court to Decide Final Resting Place of Edgar Lungu
Two months after the death of former Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the world watches with bated breath as the Pretoria High Court prepares to deliver a ruling that will determine where the late leader will finally be laid to rest.
What should have been a solemn and dignified farewell has instead become a painful and public tug-of-war between the Zambian government and Lungu’s grieving family a legal and emotional battle over his final resting place.
On one side stands the Zambian state, represented by Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha, insisting that Lungu’s legacy demands a state funeral in Lusaka complete with full honours befitting a former Head of State. They argue that the people of Zambia deserve the chance to say goodbye to the man who once led their nation.
On the other side stands his immediate family, devastated and fiercely protective of his dignity in death. They have remained firm in their request for a private burial in South Africa, far from the political noise and media spotlight. For them, it is not just about place, but peace.
“He died in exile. He was stripped of everything even his voice. All we want now is to bury him in dignity and without further pain,” said a close family member, their voice breaking.
Today, August 4, is Judgement Day. In a few hours, a South African court will decide whether the late President’s body will be repatriated to Zambia or remain in South African soil a country that became his reluctant sanctuary in his final months.
The ruling will bring an end to what has been an emotionally draining chapter for Zambia, where many have yet to fully process the death of the country’s sixth president. From church pews to township corners, citizens have been torn between mourning and confusion, patriotism and privacy.
“Whether you loved or loathed him, he was our President. He should come home,” said a mourner at a candlelight vigil in Lusaka last week.
For others, especially among his loyal supporters, the delay in burying him has felt like a second death a slow, agonizing loss without closure.
As the Pretoria courtroom fills today, and as the clock ticks toward a historic ruling, one thing is certain: the soul of Edgar Lungu is at the centre of a nation’s sorrow.
Whether buried in Zambia or South Africa, what many yearn for is an end to the conflict and a return to dignity for a man whose final chapter has been written in court filings, rather than peace.
May his memory, wherever he rests, be honoured.
©️ KUMWESU | August 4, 2025
What ever ruling will come from the South African Court , let it be respected so that the Burial of the late,6th President, Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu can take place, and his Soul can finally Rest in PEACE.
If the Court rules that the late President be buried in South Africa according to the wishes of the Family , let it be so . No sponsored degenerates operating under Mercenary Organizations should disrupt the burial. .Let’s have peace.
The government can organize a memorial service in Zambia on day of burial and the Country will have closure.
If the Court rules that the Burial be held in Zambia, may the wishes of the family be respected, as per the June, 18th Agreement. No grandstanding and indignity to the late President.
Let there be no Appeals of the Ruling. And let there be no fresh applications to delay the ruling.
I humbly submit.