South African Court Rules Edgar Lungu Must Be Buried in Zambia

South African court rules Edgar Lungu must be buried in Zambia

A South African court has ruled that the body of former Zambian president Edgar Lungu must be returned to Lusaka for a state funeral. The decision is a setback for his family, who had wanted him 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.

Court case over burial of ex-Zambian president Edgar Lungu

The dispute over the final resting place of former Zambian president Edgar Lungu is set to reach finality on Friday.

Zambia wins case to bury former president - Daily Telegraph NZ

Edgar Chagwa Lungu. Image – @EdgarCLungu, X. The Pretoria High Court’s ruling comes weeks after it blocked Edgar Chagwa Lungu’s family from burying him privately in South Africa. 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 …

Pretoria High Court rules that former president Edgar Lungu be buried in Zambia

On 8 August 2025, the Pretoria High Court ordered Edgar Lungu’s remains to be repatriated to Embassy Park in Lusaka, the official burial site for Zambian heads of state. Gauteng Deputy Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba ruled in favour of the Zambian government. Doctors treated Edgar Lungu in Pretoria for an undisclosed illness in June 2025, when he died; he had previously received treatment for achalasia. FAMILY’S OPPOSITION AND LEGAL ARGUMENTS Lun…

ANC’s Tony Yengeni Criticizes Court Ruling on Former Zambian President’s Burial

ANC veteran Tony Yengeni has strongly criticized a Pretoria High Court ruling ordering that the remains of former Zambian president Edgar Lungu be returned to Zambia for burial, against his family’s wishes. Yengeni accused judges of overstepping their authority, stating: “Judges are now taking it upon themselves to decide who gets buried where, instead of the family. Who do they think they are?” His comments came after the court ruled that Lungu…