The family of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu and the Zambian government are locked in a legal dispute over the control of his remains.
The conflict centers on whether Lungu will receive a state funeral or be returned to a mortuary chosen by his family. This struggle highlights a deep political rift between the former leader's estate and the current administration.
Lungu died in a hospital in South Africa, and his body has remained unburied for nearly a year [1]. The dispute has persisted for 10 months following his death [1].
The legal battle has moved through the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, South Africa. In August 2025, the court issued a judgment allowing the repatriation of the remains [2]. Despite this ruling, the two parties continue to clash over the specific arrangements for the return and subsequent burial in Zambia [3].
The Zambian government has sought to organize a state funeral, while the family has contested this approach. The disagreement involves who holds the ultimate authority to decide the burial site, and the nature of the ceremonies.
Because the remains are currently in South Africa, the Gauteng High Court remains the primary venue for resolving the impasse. The case underscores the tension between national protocol for former heads of state and the private wishes of grieving families.
“Lungu died in a hospital in South Africa, and his body has remained unburied for nearly a year.”
The inability of the Zambian government and the Lungu family to reach an agreement, even after a South African court ruling, reflects the volatile nature of Zambia's political transitions. When the remains of a former head of state become a legal pawn, it often signals that the political animosities of the living are outweighing the traditional protocols of national mourning.
