The Pretoria High Court has granted the Zambian government the legal authority to transport the body of former President Edgar Lungu from South Africa and accord him a state funeral, notwithstanding objections raised by his family.
The ruling comes in response to a petition filed by the Zambian government, which sought to override the family’s request for a private burial in South Africa, where Lungu passed away in June. The court acknowledged that while familial preferences are important, they cannot preempt matters of national symbolism and public interest.
Zambia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in its application that the former head of state’s funeral bears broad implications for national unity, and would serve as a moment of collective remembrance rather than a private family affair.
The legal dispute is further complicated by long-standing political tensions between President Hakainde Hichilema, Lungu’s successor, and the late president himself. Members of Lungu’s family have publicly suggested that he had expressed a desire for Hichilema not to attend his funeral, citing their ongoing personal and political differences.
