The family of Zambia’s late former president, Edgar Chagwa Lungu, has lodged an appeal against a Pretoria High Court ruling that ordered his body be repatriated to Zambia for a state funeral.
The ruling, delivered on 8 August, had sided with the Zambian government, stating that the late leader’s stature as a former head of state warranted a public farewell in his homeland, despite his family’s preference for a private burial in South Africa.
Mr. Lungu passed away on 5 June in South Africa, where he had been receiving medical treatment. The government declared a period of national mourning and announced plans for a state funeral at Embassy Park in Lusaka, complete with military honors. However, the Lungu family halted the process on 18 June, citing a breakdown of trust over funeral arrangements and insisting on excluding President Hakainde Hichilema from proceedings due to political tensions.
A private burial scheduled in Johannesburg on 25 June was dramatically halted just hours before it was to take place, following an urgent interdict by the Pretoria High Court. That injunction remained in place until the August hearing, where the court concluded the former president should be returned to Zambia.
The family’s appeal now means the repatriation is on hold until South Africa’s appellate court hears the matter, prolonging a dispute that has gripped the nation and deepened the emotional toll on supporters and citizens alike.
Many Zambians, already in mourning, expressed disappointment at the delay, with some calling for reconciliation in the interest of giving the former president a dignified farewell.
