Latest news with #ZambianGovernment
Russia Today
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Zambia wins case to bury former president
South Africa's High Court has ordered the release of former Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu's body for repatriation to Zambia for a state funeral. 'The court in this case concluded that the government of Zambia is entitled to proceed with the state funeral for the late president of Zambia,' Deputy Judge President of the Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa, Aubrey Ledwaba, delivered the judgment on Friday afternoon. 'The order of the court reads as follows … it is ordered that the applicant (government of Zambia) is entitled to repatriate the body of the late president, Edgar Lungu, for a state funeral and burial thereafter in Embassy Park, in Lusaka, Republic of Zambia.' The family members were ordered to surrender the body of the former president to representatives of the Zambian government to enable repatriation. A month ago, IOL reported that the government of the Republic of Zambia said it would abide by the ruling of South African courts in the tense standoff over the burial of the mortal remains of the country's former president. One of Africa's deepest episodes of political rivalry and animosity played out before South African courts, with Lungu's family saying one of the former president's dying wishes was that his successor and political nemesis, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, should not go anywhere near his body. However, state funeral arrangements made in Zambia, in anticipation of receiving the former president's mortal remains in Lilongwe, had Hichilema at the center, as the commander-in-chief of the Zambian Defence Forces. The Zambian government had planned State funeral arrangements in Zambia, in anticipation of receiving the former president's mortal remains in Lilongwe, with Hichilema at the center of the ceremony. Last month, IOL reported that the High Court in Pretoria had unexpectedly halted plans by the family to bury the former president in South Africa. The court ruling was delivered just moments before a private ceremony was set to commence in Gauteng. The Pretoria court's decision marked another development in the ongoing heated dispute between Lungu's family and the Zambian government over the former head of state's final resting place. Lungu, who led Zambia from 2015 to 2021, died on 5 June in South Africa, where he was receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness. He was published by IOL
The Herald
3 days ago
- 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.
France 24
3 days ago
- Health
- France 24
DR Congo: Former PM A. Muzito joins government as cabinet reshuffle brings in opposition members
Meanwhile, a South African court has ruled that the body of former Zambian president Edgar Lungu must be returned to Lusaka for a state funeral. This is a setback for his family, who had wanted him to be buried in South Africa in a private ceremony. The legal dispute with the Zambian government began in June, after Lungu died while receiving medical treatment. Fewer than 3% of the genomes used in global cancer research come from Africa. This glaring gap leaves many treatments less effective for people of African descent. Yet the continent records more than 700,000 cancer deaths each year. In Accra, a biotech company is working to address this issue by building Africa's first genetic database, drawing on data from thousands of patients across several countries.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Ex-Zambian Leader Should Be Buried in Home Country, Court Rules
A South African court ruled that former Zambian President Edgar Lungu should be buried in his home country, a judgment that follows weeks of legal wrangling over what should happen to his remains. Lungu died in a hospital in Pretoria on June 5 and his family wanted to hold a private burial ceremony for him in South Africa and for Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema to be excluded from the proceedings. The Zambian government insisted he should have an official funeral at home.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Hand over the body for burial at home, a South African court tells Zambian ex-president's family
A supporter arrives for a Mass for former Zambian President Edgar Lungu, shown in a banner at right, at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Johannesburg, South Africa, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) JOHANNESBURG — A South African court on Friday ruled in favour 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 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 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 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 travelling to South Africa for treatment, a charge the government denied. Zambia's Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha welcomed the judgment, telling reporters that he hoped the ruling 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. Mogomotsi Magome, The Associated Press
