South African court tells Zambian ex-president's family to hand over body for burial at home
The Zambian government and the family of the late Edgar Lungu, Zambia's president from 2015 to 2021, have been embroiled in a legal battle over his remains and burial.
Lungu died in June at a South African hospital after an undisclosed illness. He was 68.
His family wanted him to be buried in South Africa and for the current Zambian president, Hakainde Hichilema, neither to attend his funeral nor be involved in its arrangements.
The family said it was Lungu's final wish that Hichilema should not get anywhere near his burial, but the Zambian government went to court to stop him from being buried in South Africa.
The court ruled on Friday that Zambia had the authority to hold a state funeral for its former leader.
The court noted that the Zambian courts have previously emphasized that a state funeral is a matter of public interest and protocol for a person of national significance.
'Such that even if a president has expressed a desire not to be given a state funeral, such a wish must be overridden by public interest,' said Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba.
Lungu's family applied for leave to appeal the ruling on Friday, but they will have to convince the same court that made the order that there are reasonable prospects for a different outcome.
Lungu and Hichilema were political rivals. Their conflict led to Hichilema's imprisonment in 2017, when Lungu was president.
Last year, Lungu accused Hichilema's government of using police to harass him and restrict his movements. His family also said the government had initially prevented him from traveling to South Africa for treatment, a charge the government denied.
Zambian Atty. Gen. Mulilo Kabesha welcomed the ruling, telling reporters that he hoped it would bring the matter to a close even though the family still had a right to appeal.
'This is not winning. You don't win over a burial. It's just what makes good sense, that the former president of the Republic of Zambia should be buried in his own country, the country where he was president,' said Kabesha.
Magome writes for the Associated Press. Jacob Zimba in Lusaka contributed to this report.
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