Pretoria High Court orders former President Edgar Lungu's burial in Zambia
In June 2025, doctors treated Edgar Lungu in Pretoria for an undisclosed illness when he died; he had previously undergone treatment for achalasia.
Lungu's family opposed repatriation, citing his alleged wish for a private burial in South Africa. Esther Lungu, his widow, stated in court that he wanted President Hichilema excluded from the funeral.
The family's lawyer, Makebi Zulu, argued that the government's claims were hearsay and lacked evidence. The court dismissed these arguments, citing national interest and protocol.
Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha argued that the burial of former presidents is a state matter. He referenced the precedent set by President Kenneth Kaunda's burial at Embassy Park.
In addition, the government sought four orders, including repatriation and exclusion of family control over burial arrangements.
The recent court ruling only grants the Zambian government the right to a state funeral and burial in Lusaka. Furthermore, the ruling ends a two-month dispute that drew regional attention and political debate.
Government sources confirmed preparations are underway, though no burial date has been announced. The ruling has sparked mixed reactions, with some praising national unity and others criticising political interference.
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She said after the Zambian government's attempt to superimpose its own programme on the family, the negotiations between the parties had broken down and no agreement was reached for a state funeral. The family decided to proceed with its choice of a private burial, which would be held in South Africa. This led to the Zambian government approaching the high court for an order declaring it was entitled to repatriate the mortal remains of Lungu. Lungu said the reason for the extreme urgency in its application was that it had already been more than two months since her husband's death and his body was still lying in a mortuary. 'The matter cannot await ordinary appellate processes because there is a real risk of President Lungu's body decomposing while awaiting the matter to go through ordinary appellate processes,' she said.
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