Eight months after the death of former Zambian president Edgar Lungu, uncertainty continues to surround his final resting place, despite clear court rulings and growing public scrutiny.
Lungu died on 5 June 2025 at the age of 68 in a South African hospital, where he had been receiving medical treatment. Since then, a dispute between his family and the Zambian government has stalled plans for his burial.
In August 2025, South Africa’s Pretoria High Court ruled that Lungu’s body must be returned to Zambia for a state funeral. The court dismissed the family’s request to bury him in South Africa and later denied their application for leave to appeal, stating there was “no reasonable prospect of success.” Judges ruled that Zambian law applies, as Lungu was in South Africa only temporarily for medical care.
The Zambian government has insisted that Lungu be accorded a state funeral in line with his status as a former head of state. However, his family has resisted the move, citing his long-standing political rivalry with President Hakainde Hichilema.
Lungu served as Zambia’s president from 2015 to 2021. Plans for a state funeral in Zambia were cancelled twice amid disagreements over protocol. According to his family and legal representatives, Lungu left explicit instructions that President Hichilema should not attend his funeral. The government, however, maintains that the president was expected to preside over the ceremony.
As a former president, Lungu is legally entitled to a national funeral, and the courts have ruled that the national interest outweighs the family’s wishes. This decision effectively cleared the way for his repatriation and burial in Zambia.
Despite this, no official repatriation has taken place. The family is reportedly seeking to approach South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal, and their limited public communication has fuelled speculation and rumours.
For now, the prolonged delay, strained relations between the family and the state, and the lack of clarity over next steps continue to raise questions. Whether Edgar Lungu’s burial will serve as a moment of national unity or deepen Zambia’s political divisions remains unresolved.
