The South African Supreme Court of Appeal has set aside a lower court order that directed the repatriation of the body of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu to Zambia for a state funeral.
The ruling follows a legal challenge by the Lungu family, who argued that the lower court’s decision did not reflect the late former president’s wishes regarding his burial.
According to the family’s legal representatives, arrangements had already been made for Edgar Lungu to receive a private funeral in South Africa before the court proceedings commenced.
The former Head of State died on June 5, 2025, and his burial has remained the subject of an ongoing legal dispute between his family and the Zambian government.
During proceedings before the South African Supreme Court of Appeal, the Lungu family’s lawyer, Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, argued that the family should have the sole authority to determine where the former president is buried.
He submitted that if the family decides to bury Mr. Lungu in South Africa, they do not want the Zambian government to interfere with that decision.
Ngcukaitobi further told the court that even if the family ultimately chooses to bury the former president in Zambia, that decision should remain entirely within the family’s discretion.
The case has attracted significant public and political attention in both Zambia and South Africa, as it raises questions about the rights of a deceased person’s family, the wishes of a former Head of State, and the role of government in state funeral arrangements.
With the latest ruling by the South African Supreme Court of Appeal, uncertainty remains over the final burial arrangements for former President Edgar Lungu, whose body has remained unburied since his death more than a year ago.
Further legal or diplomatic developments are expected as the matter continues to unfold.
