Zambia’s government takes possession of ex-president’s body in repatriation row

Zambia’s government has claimed control of the late former president’s remains, contrary to the family’s preferences. Edgar Lungu, who died in South Africa 10 months ago, was the country’s leader from 2015 to 2021, before losing elections to Hakainde Hichilema.

The conflict centers on the fate of Lungu’s body, following a contentious relationship with his successor. The government insists that Lungu, as a former head of state, deserves a state funeral in Lusaka, where past presidents are interred. Yet the family sought a private ceremony, a plan that unraveled after failed talks with officials.

In August, a South African court granted Zambia the right to repatriate Lungu’s body for a state event. The family challenged this decision, but the transfer proceeded after their appeal stalled at the higher court, according to Zambia’s Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha.

During a recent interview on a Zambian YouTube channel, family representative Makebi Zulu denied the claim that the appeals process had ended, stating that proper legal steps were followed.

Lungu succumbed to an unspecified illness in June 2023, while receiving treatment in Pretoria. The rift with Hichilema, who defeated him in a decisive election, had been persistent, with the family asserting that Lungu wanted his successor excluded from the funeral.

Lawyers for the family have now filed a request with South Africa’s high court to return the body to the original funeral home. This development underscores the ongoing tension between the two political factions over Lungu’s final rites.

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