Zambia govt takes custody of Lungu’s body amid heated repatriation dispute

Lungu

Pretoria – The family of former Zambian president Edgar Lungu has launched an urgent legal bid in Pretoria after his body was allegedly removed from a mortuary without their consent by South African police and Zambian authorities, escalating an already tense dispute over his burial.

The developments come amid a prolonged standoff between the Lungu family and the Zambian government over whether the former president should receive a private burial or a state funeral in Zambia.

According to the BBC, “the Zambian government has said it has taken possession of the body of former president Edgar Lungu… against the wishes of the family,” following a South African court ruling that allowed his repatriation for a state funeral.

However, the family disputes the legality of the move and has now returned to court.

The Mail & Guardian reports that “the family of former Zambian president Edgar Chagwa Lungu has launched an urgent court bid in Pretoria after his body was taken from a mortuary without their permission by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Zambian authorities.”

Lungu’s widow, Esther Lungu, filed an urgent application in the Gauteng High Court seeking the return of her husband’s remains. The application lists six respondents, including SAPS, the national police commissioner, the minister of police, the Zambian government, Two Mountains Burial Services, and South Africa’s minister of international relations and cooperation.

In court papers cited by the Mail & Guardian, Judge Rochelle Francis-Subbiah ordered that “the first, second, third and fourth respondents take steps to ensure that the body of Lungu is returned to the premises and custody of Two Mountains Burial Services or any mortuary nominated by the family.”

The judge further indicated that all respondents must explain why they should not be held in contempt of court.

Family lawyer Makebi Zulu said the family was shocked by the removal of the body, claiming SAPS and Zambian officials acted without a valid court order.

“There was no court order for this to happen and an appeal had already lapsed,” he said.

Lungu, who died in South Africa in June 2025 at the age of 68 following a short illness, has been at the centre of a dispute between his family—who want a private burial in South Africa—and the Zambian government, which insists he be buried at Embassy Park in Lusaka, the designated resting place for former heads of state.

A previous Pretoria court ruling in 2025 ordered that his remains be repatriated to Zambia, but disagreements over funeral arrangements have continued to delay proceedings.

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