Controversy Erupts as Zambian Government Repatriates Body of Ex-President Lungu

Thu Apr 23 2026 08:55:04 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

The Zambian government has claimed the body of former president Edgar Lungu, sparking a legal battle with his family over his funeral arrangements. Lungu’s family sought a private burial while the state insists he be honored with a state funeral.

In a significant development regarding the controversial repatriation of Edgar Lungu's body, the Zambian government has taken possession against the family's wishes. Lungu, who led Zambia from 2015 until 2021, passed away last June. The family demanded a private burial, but the government insists on honoring him at a state funeral, backed by a ruling from a South African court. This escalating dispute reflects ongoing tensions between Lungu's family and the current administration.

The Zambian government has claimed possession of the body of former president Edgar Lungu, who passed away in South Africa 10 months ago, igniting a legal confrontation with his family over the arrangements for his remains.

This incident marks a continuation of a long-standing conflict between Lungu and his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema. The government's stance is that as a former head of state, Lungu deserves to be honored in Zambia and laid to rest in the national presidential burial site in Lusaka.

However, Lungu's family has expressed a desire for a private burial after discussions with the government over funeral arrangements fell through.

In August, a South African court permitted the Zambian government to proceed with the repatriation of Lungu's body and to provide him with a state funeral. This ruling was contested by Lungu's family, but the government asserts that the family's inability to continue their case at the appeals court has allowed the transfer to occur.

Makebi Zulu, a spokesperson for Lungu's family, challenged the government's claims, stating that proper judicial procedures had not been followed. The family's legal representatives have urgently appealed to a South African high court to have Lungu's body returned to the funeral home where it was initially held.

Lungu, who served as Zambia's president from 2015 until his electoral defeat in 2021, died of an undisclosed illness at the age of 68. Tensions between his family and the government have endured, with the family asserting that Lungu had wished for his funeral to occur without Hichilema's presence.