By Burnett Munthali
The Zambian government and the family of former President Edgar Lungu are set to face off in the High Court in Pretoria on Thursday, marking a significant development in the ongoing dispute over Lungu’s burial arrangements.
The court battle began after Lungu’s death in South Africa on June 5, 2025, with his family seeking to bury him privately in South Africa, while the Zambian government insisted on a state funeral in Zambia.
The Pretoria High Court had previously ruled in August 2025 that Lungu’s body should be repatriated to Zambia for a state funeral, a decision that was upheld after the Lungu family’s appeal bid lapsed.
The Zambian government has since taken custody of Lungu’s remains, with Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha stating that the government will engage with the family to finalize burial arrangements.
The Lungu family, however, has launched an urgent court application seeking the return of the body to a mortuary, claiming it was removed without permission.
The High Court in Pretoria has ordered that the body be returned to Two Mountains Burial Services or another mortuary nominated by the family, pending further court proceedings.
