Latest news with #LunguFamily
The Herald
09-08-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
High court orders repatriation of ex-Zambian leader Edgar Lungu's body
The Pretoria high court on Friday ordered the repatriation of former Zambian president Edgar Lungu's body for a state funeral, siding with Zambia's government over his family who wanted him buried in South Africa, not in the presence of his successor. Lungu, Zambia's head of state from 2015 to 2021, died in South Africa on June 5 while receiving medical treatment. The high court halted plans for Lungu to be buried in Johannesburg on June 25, hours before a private ceremony was due to start. Zambia's government had approached the court arguing that Lungu should be given a state funeral and buried at a designated site in the Zambian capital Lusaka, like all other presidents since independence from Britain in 1964. Lungu's family said he did not want incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema, a long-standing political rival and his successor, at his funeral.
The Independent
08-08-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
South African court tells Zambian ex-president's family to hand over body for burial at home
A South African court on Friday ruled in favor of the government of Zambia and ordered that it can repatriate the remains of its former president and bury him in his home country, against his family's wishes. The Zambian government and the family of the late Edgar Lungu, Zambian president from 2015 to 2021, have been embroiled in a legal battle over his remains and burial. Lungu died in June, aged 68, at a South African hospital following an undisclosed illness. His family wanted him to be buried in South Africa and for the current 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 sworn 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. Zambia's Attorney General 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. __ Jacob Zimba in Lusaka contributed to this report. ____
Russia Today
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Court blocks burial of former Zambian president over state-family feud
A South African court has blocked the burial of former President of Zambia Edgar Lungu at a private ceremony just as it was about to begin. The ruling on Wednesday came amid a dispute between the ex-leader's family and the Zambian government over his funeral arrangements. Mourners gathered at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Johannesburg, South Africa, were reportedly informed of the court's decision only after the funeral mass had concluded. The Zambian government had initially planned a state funeral presided over by President Hichilema, while Lungu's family had opted for a private burial in South Africa. The two sides later reached an agreement for a state funeral, but relations broke down over the specific arrangements. Last week, President Hichilema announced that the 'people of Zambia were prepared to receive the remains' of his predecessor on June 18, but were 'surprised by the family's reversal of the agreed course of action.' 'While we recognize that he belongs to a family, he also belongs to the nation of Zambia,' Hichilema said, arguing that it is 'correct' for the '6th Republican President to be buried in Zambia with full honors.' Zambian Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha filed an urgent case in the High Court in South Africa's capital, Pretoria, on Tuesday to halt the burial planned by the late president's family. Kabesha told the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation that state funerals with full military honours were required by law, referencing a previous court ruling on the burial of Zambia's first president, Kenneth Kaunda. In its ruling, the Pretoria court ordered a full hearing to be held on August 4. Lungu had been a longtime political rival of Hichilema. Hichilema defeated him in the 2021 election after losing in 2016. In 2017, Hichilema was jailed for four months on treason charges after his convoy allegedly failed to give way to Lungu's motorcade, but the case was later dropped. When Hichilema took power, Lungu accused his successor of targeting him and placing him under house arrest. Last year, Zambian authorities arrested two men in connection with an alleged plot by a Lungu ally to bewitch Hichilema.
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Wetin be di kasala wey dey happun wit di burial of former Zambia president, why di burial dey drag?
One South Africa court don pause di plans to bury former Zambian President Edgar Lungu for one private ceremony just as e dey about to start. Dem announce di news to mourners for South Africa afta dem finish one funeral mass. Dis na di latest twist inside one gbas-gbos between di goment and di Lungu family ova im burial. Di family bin decide to do private ceremony for South Africa, instead of full state funeral for dia kontri. Di Zambian goment bin file one urgent case for di Pretoria High Court to stop di burial wey im family dey plan. Di court tok say di funeral no go kontinu afta one "agreement between di parties" as e be now, e be like say no funeral go happun until August at di earliest. Di kasala dey come sake of one long-standing quarrel between Lungu and im successor, President Hakainde Hichilema, Lungu family tok say di late president indicate say make Hichilema no attend im funeral. Afta Lungu death for South Africa at di age of 68, di family wan dey in charge of di funeral arrangements, wey include bringing back im body, but di Zambian authorities wan control evritin. Afta plenty back and forth, di goment and di family later agree say e go get state funeral, bifor disagreement enta ova di exact arrangements, all dis wahala make di family decide to bury di late president for South Africa. President Hichilema dey argue say Oga Lungu, as a former president, "belong to di nation of Zambia" and dem suppose burial am for di kontri. For one address, President Hichilema tok say Lungu, as a former president, "belong to di nation of Zambia" and im body therefore suppose "dey buried in Zambia wit full honours, and no be for any oda nation". However, because of di row, e announce immediate end to di mourning period, e say di kontri need to "resume normal life". "Di goment don do evritin possible to engage wit di family of our departed sixth president," e tok. Di national mourning period initially run from 8 to 14 June but dem later extend am until 23 June, wit flags flying at half-mast and radio stations playing solemn music. President Hichilema and senior officials bin ready to receive Lungu coffin wit full military honours. However, Lungu family block di repatriation of im remains for di last minute, dem say goment go back on dia agreement ova di funeral plans. Di current disagreement ova Lungu burial highlight di tense relationship between im and im successor, wey play out in life and continue even in death. Wen Lungu be president, e lock Hichilema up for more dan 100 days on treason charges afta Hichilema motorcade allegedly refuse to make way for am. E bin take di intervention of di Commonwealth bifor e release Hichilema. Four years later, and afta five attempts at presidency, Hichilema defeat Lungu. Di Pretoria court give Zambian attorney general Mulilo D Kabesha until 4 July to submit im "amended notice of motion" in support of Lungu repatriation to Zambia. Im family get until 11 July to file dia opposing papers. "Dem go hear dis mata as special motion on di 4th of August 2025," di court tok. Dem go determine di costs of di urgent application then. Di Zambian goment argue say personal wishes no suppose override di greater public interest, as dem cite di case of founding President Kenneth Kaunda. For 2021, Kaunda family bin tok say im want make dem bury am next to im wife and no be di site wey goment allocate. However, di goment bin go ahead and dem bury Kaunda for Embassy Memorial Park for Lusaka. "Di High Court rule say national interest take precedence ova individual or family preferences bicos designated burial place dey for former presidents, and laid down set of protocol dey ground to handle those proceedings wey di state dey carry out, no be political party," Oga Mweetwa tok. Dis argument - about di state rights to dead president body - don play out many times across Africa. For 2019, Robert Mugabe die nearly two years afta im former right-hand man, Emmerson Mnangagwa unseat am as Zimbabwe president. Mugabe family no gree make dem bury am for di national Heroes' Acre,dem argue say im former colleagues betray am.
Reuters
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
South African court halts burial of Zambia's ex-president Lungu
JOHANNESBURG, June 25 (Reuters) - A South African court prevented Zambia's former president Edgar Lungu from being buried in Johannesburg just before the ceremony was due to be held on Wednesday, following weeks of feuding between his family and the Zambian government. Lungu, who was Zambia's head of state from 2015 to 2021, died in South Africa on June 5 while receiving medical treatment. He and his successor, current President Hakainde Hichilema, were longstanding political rivals, and Lungu's family said he did not want Hichilema to be present at his funeral. Hichilema's government, however, wants Lungu's body brought back to Zambia for a state funeral and approached Pretoria High Court to try to block his burial. Deputy Judge President Aubrey Phago Ledwaba told the court on Wednesday that lawyers for Lungu's family and Zambia's government had agreed that the burial would not go ahead for now. The Zambian government has until July 4 to explain why it wants to repatriate Lungu's body. Zambian Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha said negotiations with Lungu's family would continue before the next court hearing. Makebi Zulu, a Lungu family spokesman, said they did not believe Hichilema would give Lungu a dignified send-off. Lungu had hoped to make a bid to return to office in next year's presidential election, but Zambia's Constitutional Court last year ruled he would be ineligible, because he had already served two terms. South Africa's government has said it has an obligation to respect the wishes of Lungu's family, but it feels a state burial in Zambia would be the most fitting outcome. All of Zambia's other presidents since its independence from Britain in 1964 have been buried at a designated site in the capital, Lusaka. Analysts say Lungu's legacy as Zambian president was chequered. He was praised for a massive road-building programme but also ran the country's public finances deeply into the red. Instead of the Johannesburg burial his family had scheduled for Wednesday, a prayer service was held at a Catholic cathedral.
