Zambia: Legal Battle Erupts Over Former President Edgar Lungu's Body and Funeral Rights

The dispute over the funeral of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu has escalated into a significant legal and political crisis between his family and the current administration led by President Hakainde Hichilema. Amidst this tense situation, the Zambian government has officially claimed that it has taken custody of Lungu's body. According to a statement released by the Attorney General of Zambia on Wednesday, the body was handed over to the government following an order from a South African court. Subsequently, the remains were moved from a funeral home in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa, to another location.

Conflicting Court Rulings and Custody Dispute

However, Edgar Lungu's family has vehemently contested the government's claim. The family asserts that another emergency court has issued an order directing that the body be returned to the original funeral home where it had been kept since his death in June. There is currently a state of contradiction between the orders of the two courts, and the specific details of these rulings remain unclear. This entire dispute is deeply rooted in long-standing political differences between Lungu and the current President, Hakainde Hichilema. The two leaders have been fierce political rivals for many years, and this friction is now manifesting in the battle over Lungu's final rites.

Family's Objections and the Deceased's Final Wishes

President Hichilema's government intends to conduct a state funeral for Lungu with full military honors in Zambia, with plans to bury him in a cemetery specifically designated for the country's former leaders. Conversely, Lungu's family claims that his explicit final wish was for Hichilema not to come near his body and to play no role whatsoever in his funeral proceedings. This conflict had previously surfaced last June when the Zambian government used a court order to halt a memorial service for Lungu being held in South Africa, while at that time, family members were forced to leave the church service to attend court proceedings regarding the matter.

Legacy and Death of Edgar Lungu

Edgar Lungu served as the President of Zambia from 2015 to 2021. He passed away on June 5, 2025, at a hospital in South Africa at the age of 68 due to an undisclosed illness. The history between Lungu and Hichilema is marked by severe hostility. In 2017, while Lungu was in power, he had Hichilema arrested on charges of treason, leading to Hichilema being detained for four months. He was eventually released and the charges were dropped following significant international pressure. In the 2021 general elections, Lungu suffered a defeat at the hands of Hichilema.

Key Highlights of the Dispute

Political Standoff and Future Resolution

Following his electoral defeat to Hichilema, Lungu had alleged that the Zambian police were restricting his movements and treating him as if he were under house arrest to prevent a political comeback, while the Hichilema administration has consistently denied these allegations. Currently, the dispute over how and where the former president should be buried remains unresolved, and the matter is expected to be settled only through further legal processes. The standoff continues as both the state and the family await a definitive judicial clarification.