The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has unexpectedly halted plans to bury former Zambian President Edgar Lungu, just moments before the private ceremony was set to commence on Wednesday.
The court’s decision marks yet another development in the ongoing dispute between Lungu’s family and the Zambian government over his final resting place.
Former President Lungu died in hospital at the age of 68 in South Africa on June 5, 2025.
His family wanted to be part of the funeral arrangements, including repatriation of Lungu’s body. However, the Zambian government sought full control of Lungu’s funeral arrangements. Feeling excluded from the funeral arrangements, Lungu’s family began to shift their plans towards a burial in South Africa, igniting a rift with the Zambian authorities.
Adding to the pain and confusion, two of Lungu’s children were allegedly denied permission to leave Zambia to attend their father’s memorial in South Africa. Family representatives said the travel ban was another example of the administration’s “deliberate cruelty.”
It’s further alleged that government officials tried to repatriate Lungu’s body to Zambia without the family’s consent.
In response to the family’s actions, Zambian officials filed an urgent court application on Tuesday to stop the intended private ceremony, arguing for the prioritisation of national interests over personal wishes.
After negotiations between the legal representatives, Deputy Judge President Aubrey Phago Ledwaba ruled against the scheduled burial.
“If any party wishes to intervene in this application, they are to file their notice of motion, their founding affidavit or any answering affidavit before July 18, 2025. If any party wishes to be joined as an amicus-curiae (friend of the court) is to file their notice of motion on or before July 18,” he said.
In order to comply with the court’s directive, the Zambian government has been instructed to submit an amended notice and a supplementary affidavit regarding the repatriation of Lungu’s body by July 4, 2025.
Meanwhile, Lungu’s family will need to file their opposing affidavits before July 11, 2025.
The ruling has delayed the funeral by over a month, with the matter now set to be heard on August 4, 2025.
Despite the legal complications, the court has granted Lungu’s family the right to visit his body at the mortuary while these proceedings unfold.
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