South Africa’s Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has become the focal point of a major controversy after Zambia’s Attorney General, Mulilo Kabesha, admitted under oath that the Zambian government deliberately blocked former President Edgar Lungu from traveling abroad on multiple occasions—specifically to South Korea and South Africa. This explosive revelation, made during hearings over the disputed burial of Lungu, has sparked intense legal and political debate, both within Zambia and across the region, as questions are raised about the rights of former heads of state and the limits of government power over private citizens, even those of such high profile.
Kabesha detailed that in September 2023, Lungu was denied permission to travel to South Africa for medical treatment on grounds that he had not provided sufficient details about the care he sought—a decision that effectively barred him from accessing specialized healthcare. The Attorney General also testified that Lungu was prevented from attending a World Peace Summit and a church service in South Africa, with the government citing alleged intelligence that he intended to use these trips for political purposes. Kabesha defended these actions as necessary to protect national security and political stability, asserting that the state has legal authority to impose such restrictions when it deems them in the public interest.
| Date/Time | Event/Action | Who’s Involved | Outcome/Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-25 12:00 PM | Court halts burial at last minute | SA High Court, Lungu family, Zambian govt | Burial postponed |
| Ongoing | Legal battle over burial location | Attorney General Kabesha, Neo Mashele | Full hearing Aug 4 |
| 2025-07-04 | Zambian govt deadline for arguments | Zambian govt | Submissions due |
| 2025-08-04 | Full court hearing | Pretoria High Court | Final ruling expected |
| 2025-06-25 | Travel bans, repatriation attempts, family allegations | Lungu family vs. Zambian govt | Accusations, diplomatic tension |
As the Edgar Lungu burial dispute continues to grip Southern Africa, the clash between the former Zambian president’s family and the Zambian government over his final resting place has escalated into a high-stakes legal, political, and diplomatic showdown—with implications far beyond a single funeral.
June 5, 2025: Edgar Lungu, Zambia’s former president, dies in South Africa while receiving medical treatment. Within days, his family announces plans for a private burial in Johannesburg, asserting that this was his wish—and explicitly requesting that his political successor, President Hakainde Hichilema, not attend the funeral. The Zambian government, however, insists on a full state funeral with military honors at home, citing national tradition and the precedent set by Zambia’s founding president, Kenneth Kaunda.
June 25, 2025, 12:00 PM: In a dramatic, last-minute intervention, the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria issues an emergency order halting Lungu’s planned private burial at Johannesburg’s Cathedral of Christ the King—just as mourners, including family members, are gathering for the ceremony. The court’s decision follows an urgent application by Zambian Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha, who argued that Lungu, as a former head of state, must be repatriated for a state funeral in Zambia. The court’s pause sends shockwaves through both legal and political circles.
June 25, 2025, 1:00 PM: Following the court’s intervention, the Lungu family and the Zambian government reach a temporary agreement: the burial is postponed until a full hearing on August 4, 2025. The government is given until early July to submit its full legal arguments for repatriation. In the meantime, Lungu’s remains remain in South Africa, under the care of a funeral home—his fate in limbo.
The Stakes and Personalities
At the heart of this dispute is a bitter political rivalry between Lungu and Hichilema, who unseated Lungu in 2021 and whose administration has since pursued investigations and prosecutions against Lungu’s allies. The family alleges that Hichilema’s government deliberately excluded them from funeral arrangements, attempted to repatriate Lungu’s body without consent, and even denied two of Lungu’s children permission to attend their father’s memorial in South Africa—an act they describe as “deliberate cruelty.”
Esther Lungu, the former first lady, is concurrently dealing with unrelated legal proceedings in Lusaka over alleged theft of motor vehicles, to which she has pleaded not guilty. The family, represented by prominent South African attorney Neo Mashele, maintains that Lungu’s final wishes must be respected—and that the Zambian government’s insistence on a state funeral is both politically motivated and a violation of their rights.
President Hakainde Hichilema, meanwhile, has publicly stated that Zambia stands ready to receive Lungu’s remains and give him a dignified state funeral—a position supported by many in Zambia who believe burying a former president abroad would deprive the nation of the chance to pay its final respects.
Legal and Diplomatic Implications
The Pretoria High Court now finds itself at the center of a case that could set a regional precedent for how African nations handle the deaths of their leaders abroad. Zambia’s government argues that Lungu’s status as a former president makes his burial a matter of state, governed by constitutional tradition. The family, however, contends that international law, the right to a private burial, and Lungu’s own wishes should prevail.
Diplomatic tensions between Zambia and South Africa have flared, with South African government officials balancing respect for the family’s wishes against the sensitivity of international protocol. South Africa’s Minister of International Relations, Ronald Lamola, has acknowledged the legal obligation to respect the family’s wishes—but also emphasized that a state funeral in Zambia would be the most fitting tribute.
Public and Political Fallout
The dispute has become a lightning rod for public debate—both within Zambia and across the region. Some civic groups in Zambia argue that a burial in South Africa denies ordinary citizens the chance to pay their respects to a former leader, while others see the government’s actions as overreach, fueled by political animosity.
In South Africa, meanwhile, the controversy has spilled into debates about immigration, tradition, and national identity. Some civic organizations have warned that allowing Lungu’s burial on South African soil could set a dangerous precedent—even suggesting it might provoke a wave of Zambians seeking residency or citizenship by association. Others, however, stress the importance of respecting individual and family rights, regardless of political status.
What Comes Next
All eyes are now on the full court hearing scheduled for August 4, 2025 in Pretoria. The outcome will determine whether Lungu is buried in South Africa, as his family wishes, or repatriated to Zambia for a state funeral, as his government demands. Whichever way the court rules, the decision will reverberate across African legal systems, shape how former leaders are honored, and test the limits of state power versus individual and family rights.
For now, Lungu’s body remains in South Africa—a symbol of unresolved tensions, political rivalries, and the complex interplay of law, tradition, and personal autonomy in modern Africa. The final chapter in this saga is yet to be written, but the debate it has sparked will resonate for years to come.
