Zambia's government takes possession of ex-president's body in repatriation row

Zambia authorities and Edgar Lungu's family are in a dispute over where former leader's remains should be buried.

Zambia's government announced that it has taken possession of the body of former President Edgar Lungu after a South African high court cleared the way for its repatriation, signaling the closure of a nearly one-year legal battle over his burial location.

The High Court in Pretoria has formally ordered the transfer of the mortal remains of former Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu to the Zambian government, clearing the way for repatriation and burial arrangements to proceed.

The Zambian government has begun executing a court order to repatriate former President Edgar Lungu’s remains from South Africa after his family’s appeal bid lapsed, following the failure to meet agreed deadlines set under an expedited timetable.

The Zambian government has taken possession of the body of former president Edgar Lungu, who died in South Africa 10 months ago, against the wishes of the family, marking the latest episode in a row over his remains following a long-standing feud between Lungu and his successor, president Hakainde Hichilema.

The Pretoria High Court has ordered that former Zambian President Edgar Lungu's body be returned to a private mortuary, halting the Zambian government's repatriation efforts. The court granted interim relief to Lungu's family, instructing that the body be returned to Two Mountains Burial Services pending finalization of the matter, with a deadline set for May 21, 2026.

The Zambian government claims custody of former President Edgar Lungu's body after a South African court ordered its release. However, a separate court order mandates the body be returned to the funeral home where it had been since Lungu's death in June 2025, with a date of May 21 set for the body to ultimately be handed over to the Zambian government.

The Zambian government has taken custody of former President Edgar Lungu's body in a long-running dispute with his family over burial arrangements. Lungu's family claims that one of his last wishes was that President Hakainde Hichilema should not be involved in his funeral, while the government insists on a state funeral in Zambia.

The Zambian government has taken custody of former President Edgar Lungu's body amid a prolonged dispute with his family over burial arrangements. Lungu, who died in South Africa nearly a year ago, has been at the center of a legal battle between his family and the Zambian state, with conflicting South African court orders over who controls the remains.