Pretoria Court orders Lungu family to pay government lawyers
THE Pretoria High Court in South Africa has ordered the family of late former Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu to pay the legal costs of the Zambian Government, including fees for two senior lawyers, after dismissing their application to appeal a previous ruling.
“The application for leave to appeal is dismissed with costs, which includes the employment of two counsel on Scale C,” reads the judgement.
The Lungu family had applied for leave to appeal the High Court’s earlier judgment, seeking to have the matter heard by the Supreme Court.
They argued that as the former president’s heirs, they had the sole right to decide on his burial.
The family also claimed the case should be decided under South African law and criticised the government for allegedly failing to provide expert evidence on Zambian law.
The family further argued that a private arrangement, known as “FAA7,” authorised only them to manage the repatriation.
The court rejected all these arguments, stating that Zambia’s Attorney General, Mulilo Kabesha, is an expert in Zambian law.
“The allegation that the respondent failed to place expert evidence of Zambian law before this Court is without merit, as the Attorney General is an expert in Zambian law,” the judgment said.
The judges also clarified that Lungu’s removal from presidential benefits during his lifetime did not affect his status as a former President entitled to a state funeral.
“The argument that the deceased was stripped of his benefits is of no moment. He remains a former state president with attendant burial benefits at state expense upon death,” said the court.
The court also said private arrangements cannot override the state’s authority.
“The mere fact that ‘FAA7’ records that the parties will consult and agree as to who will speak at all events does not vitiate the consensus that was reached. Conflicts and disagreements about burial rights are a common feature in our courts,” explained the ruling.
The High Court stated that the matter did not raise broader constitutional issues and was too fact-specific to justify an appeal.
“We are satisfied that no compelling reasons exist to grant leave to appeal simply because the matter is so fact specific that there is very little to no prospects that the same set of facts will confront a Court again,” the judgment added.
Before this judgment, the Lungu family and the Zambian Government had engaged in formal talks aimed at reaching an amicable agreement over the burial impasse, but no consensus has been reached yet…https://kalemba.news/local/pretoria-court-orders-lungu-family-to-pay-government-lawyers/
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, September 16, 2025
These costs come as slaps on the cheeks of the Lungu family.After the lower courts intimated that they hoped to see light at the end of mutual negotiations between the state and the family,the court has been taken aback when the belligerents returned following dismissal by the ConCourr.Not only has the high court been irritated by wasting their time but that the Lungu family has the audacity to show that they have so much money to stay in courts, which at the back of the courts mind,is suspicious money
Dunderheads like Sishuwa and Emmanuel Mamba are now shamed and will pretend nothing has happened and go on to the next lies, speculations and rumours that they purvey as academic works
The lungu family are thieves while living and are thieves whilst dead too.
What an amazing feat.
Wasting time and money from the stolen taxpayers money. Some people can be so ridiculous!!!
The courts have done well to deter them from further appeals, they’re not interested in anything apart from their selfish motives.
Lungu led this country for 7 years meaning he was a father of the entire country. We need to see him Burried according to the laid customs we’ve set up here. What goes around comes around
The Lungu family is plagued by bitterness, hatred, and a desire for vengeance. Meanwhile, the arrogance and self-importance of Lawyer Makebi Zulu have exacerbated the situation. Makebi Zulu’s goal is to humiliate the government and to establish himself as a prominent lawyer.
The Lungu family is squandering a significant amount of money by hiring lawyers and prolonging their stay in South Africa, while private lawyers are capitalizing on this opportunity to earn more money through legal services.
The Lungu family has inflicted emotional distress upon themselves by postponing the burial and heeding the advice of those who mislead them, causing more harm to their feelings than any benefit.
A fool and his money are soon parted. A common English proverb.
Umulembwe wa chipuba upwila muli tumfwe. A common Bemba proverb. Both refer to being careless with one’s finances.
But then, the Lungus have very deep pockets hence the title “aba kasaka ka ndalama”. For them the cost of the lawyers is pocket change as Mr. Bowman Lusambo would say.