South African court halts burial of Zambia’s ex-president Edgar Lungu
Edgar Lungu's family opted to bury the late president in South Africa, following a disagreement with Zambia over how the funeral should be conducted.
The saga surrounding the burial of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu took a dramatic turn on Wednesday, as the High Court in South Africa issued an order halting his interment, which had been scheduled for the same day.
The development came just hours after reports revealed that Zambia's Attorney General, Mulilo Kabesha, filed an urgent petition in South Africa, requesting a halt to Lungu's burial until the dispute over his final rites is resolved.
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Kabesha argued that, given Lungu's national significance, the former president deserves a state funeral.
According to AP News, the hearing at the Pretoria High Court began about an hour before former President Edgar Lungu's funeral was set to take place in Johannesburg, around 60 kilometres away.
As mourners gathered at the church for the service, Lungu's family members, dressed in black funeral attire, attended the court session instead. During the hearing, the court confirmed that the Zambian government and Lungu's family had agreed to delay the burial until the dispute over the location of the funeral was resolved.
A memorial service went ahead later in the day, but the court order prevented the burial from taking place.
The judge set the next hearing for August 4 and gave Kabesha until July 4 to file an amended notice of motion outlining his legal arguments for returning Lungu's body to Zambia. Lungu's family was given until July 11 to submit their response opposing the application.
"This will be heard as a special motion on August 4, 2025," the court ruled.
Last week, Lungu's family opted to bury the late president in South Africa, following a disagreement with Zambia over how the funeral should be conducted.
Lusaka had proposed a state funeral to be presided over by President Hakainde Hichilema, but Lungu's family opposed it, stating that they wanted to personally handle his repatriation and that he had left specific instructions forbidding Hichilema from being near his body.
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