Lungu to be buried in Zambia if family loses today’s appeal
THE legal battle between the Zambian government and the family of the late Sixth Republican President, over the custody and burial of his remains is today set for hearing before the South African Supreme Court of Appeal, today.
Former President Lungu died in South Africa on June 5, 2025.
Following his death, a dispute arose between the government and the family regarding his final resting place.
The family initially expressed willingness for the former Head of State to be buried in Zambia, but on condition that President Hakainde Hichilema would not be present or anywhere near the mortal remains during the funeral proceedings.
The condition did not sit well with the government, which maintained that the late former president deserved a State funeral with full military honours.
The disagreement eventually led the family to decide that Edgar Lungu’s remains should instead be buried in South Africa.
However, the Zambian government challenged the move in court on the very day the late president was scheduled to be laid to rest.
The court halted the burial and later ruled in favour of the Zambian government, stating that the late former president should be repatriated and buried at Embassy Park in Lusaka, the designated burial site for former Heads of State.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, the Lungu family appealed the decision, resulting in the suspension of the repatriation process.
On April 22 this year, the Zambian government transferred Lungu’s remains from a private mortuary where they had been preserved to a South African government facility, where a postmortem examination was reportedly conducted.
The move came after it appeared the family had failed to file their appeal within the prescribed time.
An urgent ex parte order was later granted against the Zambian government, directing that the remains be returned to the private mortuary from which they had been removed.
Government subsequently challenged the order after a team led by family spokesman, Makebi Zulu retrieved the remains from the South African facility.
Zulu alleged that a postmortem examination had been conducted despite the court order requiring that the body be restored in its original condition.
The emergency order was later set aside, leaving the matter before the Supreme Court of Appeal, which is expected to determine whether the earlier High Court ruling ordering the repatriation of the late president’s remains should stand.
Yesterday, Attorney General expressed optimism that the late former president would eventually be buried in Zambia, in line with what government says were his wishes.
© TV Yatu | David Kashiki | May 29, 2026.