Zambia Ex‑President’s Family Wins Final Battle Over Burial: Body to Rest in South Africa
After a protracted legal dispute, the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that the body of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu must be buried in South Africa where he died, ending a bitter feud with his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema.
The ruling overturned a 2025 high‑court decision in Pretoria that allowed the Zambian government to repatriate the remains for a state funeral at the national presidential burial ground in Lusaka. Lungu’s family had demanded a private burial after negotiations collapsed, citing the ex‑president’s wish that Hichilema “was not to be at the funeral or anywhere near his body.”
Justice Raylene May Keightley stated that the court recognised that “the former president viewed himself as persona non grata in his own country” and would not receive a dignified send‑off if Hichilema were present. The decision gives Lungu’s relatives the final say over the burial location.
The Zambian government, which had sought to honour Lungu by burying him after his predecessors, accepted the court’s verdict but declared it would not pursue the matter further. The case highlights the continued tension between political factions in Zambia and illustrates how personal wishes can clash with national ceremonial traditions.
For further context on the feud and its impact on Zambia’s political landscape, see BBC Africa’s recent pieces on “The presidential feud that even death couldn't end” and “'It's coming home'‑ the undignified row over the body of Zambia's ex‑president.”
