JOHANNESBURG — An appeals court in South Africa heard arguments Friday in a contentious dispute over the final resting place of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu, whose body has remained unburied for nearly a year following his death.
The former Zambian leader, who served his country from 2015 to 2021, passed away at age 68 on June 5, 2025, in a South African medical facility due to an illness that was not publicly disclosed.
The delay in burial stems from an ongoing conflict between Lungu’s relatives and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, who had been political adversaries for years.
The current Zambian president seeks to have Lungu’s remains brought back to Zambia for an official state ceremony. His administration secured a victory in August when the Pretoria High Court ordered that the body be released to Zambian diplomatic officials for transport home.
But Lungu’s relatives opposed any funeral arrangements that would involve Hichilema due to their longstanding political rivalry, preferring instead to lay him to rest in South Africa. They challenged the court decision before South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal.
During Friday’s proceedings in Bloemfontein, the family’s legal representative Tembeka Ngcukaitobi contended that Zambia’s request for a state burial lacked justification because Lungu had his presidential privileges stripped before his passing. He maintained that the deceased’s widow should have the final say in burial matters.
Representing the Zambian government, attorney Ben Stoop countered that both parties had previously reached an understanding allowing Hichilema to participate in funeral proceedings and welcome international guests, but the family later abandoned this arrangement.
The panel of five justices hearing the case raised concerns about the lack of clear written evidence showing Lungu specifically wanted to be interred in South Africa, despite the possibility that he would have opposed having his political successor oversee his funeral.
The court has not announced when it will issue its decision.
