Zambia seizes ex-president Lungu’s body amid burial dispute

 

     Edgar Lungu led Zambia for six years from 2015

The Zambian government says it has taken possession of the body of former president Edgar Lungu, who died in South Africa 10 months ago, escalating a dispute with his family over burial arrangements.

Authorities insist that as a former head of state, Lungu should be accorded a state funeral and buried at the presidential burial site in Lusaka alongside other former leaders. However, his family has pushed for a private burial, arguing against a state ceremony following strained relations with his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema.

A South African court had earlier ruled that Lungu’s remains could be repatriated to Zambia for a state funeral, a decision the family sought to appeal. The Zambian Attorney General said the transfer proceeded after what it described as the family’s failure to advance their appeal process.

The family, however, disputes this account and says proper legal procedures were followed. It has since filed an urgent application in a South African court seeking the return of the body to the funeral home where it had been kept.

Lungu, who led Zambia from 2015 to 2021, died at the age of 68 in Pretoria after a prolonged illness. His presidency was marked by a tense political relationship with President Hichilema, which has continued to influence discussions over his burial.

Source: BBC News