Zambian government takes possession of former president Lungu's body amid family dispute
via The Namibian2 min read
The Zambian government has taken possession of the body of former president Edgar Lungu, who died in South Africa 10 months ago, against the wishes of his family. This action is the latest development in an ongoing dispute regarding the handling of Lungu's remains, stemming from a long-standing feud between Lungu and his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema. The government maintains that as a former head of state, Lungu should be honored with a state funeral and buried in the special presidential burial ground in Lusaka. However, Lungu's family desired a private burial after negotiations with the government broke down. In August of last year, a South African court ruled that Zambia's government could repatriate the body and provide a state funeral. Although the family appealed this decision, the body's transfer proceeded due to their "inability to proceed with their case" at the appeals court, according to Zambia's attorney general, Mulilo Kabesha. Lungu family spokesman Makebi Zulu disputed that the appeals process had lapsed, stating that the correct procedure was followed. The family's lawyers have now filed an urgent application with the high court in South Africa to have the former president's body returned to the funeral home where it was originally kept. Lungu died in June of last year, aged 68, from an undisclosed illness at a clinic in Pretoria, South Africa. He served as Zambia's leader from 2015 until 2021, when he lost the elections to Hichilema. The relationsh
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
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