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Latest - Zambian Government Moves to Block Former President Lungu’s Burial in South Africa

  • Writer: Southerton Business Times
    Southerton Business Times
  • Jun 25
  • 2 min read

A man in a suit stares at the camera with a serious expression. The background is plain. The image is black and white. The late former Zambian President Edgar Lungu
The late former Zambian President Edgar Lungu

Reporter

The Zambian government has filed an urgent court case in South Africa in a bid to stop the burial of former President Edgar Lungu, intensifying the public feud between the state and Lungu's family over funeral arrangements.


Zambia’s Attorney General, Mulilo Kabesha, has filed a public interest lawsuit aimed at halting the burial, which is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg on Wednesday. The legal action, according to state broadcaster ZNBC, challenges the family's decision to lay Lungu to rest outside his homeland.


Lungu, who died on June 5 at Mediclinic Medforum Hospital in Pretoria, was 68. His death sparked a two-week standoff over funeral arrangements after his family opted for a private burial in South Africa, rejecting the Zambian government’s insistence on a state funeral presided over by President Hakainde Hichilema.


In court papers, Attorney General Kabesha is suing several members of Lungu’s family, including former First Lady Esther Lungu, four of Lungu’s children, family lawyer Makebi Zulu, and the funeral home in South Africa that currently holds the late president’s remains.


The government argues that a former head of state is a national figure whose burial must reflect their status and contributions to the country. Kabesha emphasized that public interest outweighs personal preference, citing the precedent of Zambia’s founding president Kenneth Kaunda, whose family wishes were overruled in 2021 when the government buried him at Embassy Memorial Park despite his expressed desire to be laid beside his wife.


According to reports, Lungu’s will explicitly stated that President Hichilema should not attend his funeral, adding fuel to the long-standing tensions between the two leaders. The late president’s family reportedly insists the burial will go ahead as planned, stating they have not yet been served with court papers.


The dispute initially seemed resolved after the family agreed to a state funeral. However, relations soured over the specifics of the ceremony, prompting the family to take the controversial decision to bury Lungu abroad.


President Hichilema has argued that Lungu, as a former president, “belongs to the nation of Zambia” and should receive a formal send-off at home, including military honours and national recognition.


The ongoing legal and political wrangle highlights the deep-rooted animosity between Lungu and Hichilema, a rivalry that persisted in life and now continues in death.


As the South African court prepares to deliberate the case, Zambia watches closely to see whether national protocol or family autonomy will prevail in this unprecedented diplomatic and constitutional saga.

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