Human review coming soon.
Court Orders Return of Lungu's Body
Two courts in South Africa have given conflicting orders. Both orders are about the body of Edgar Lungu.
Lungu was a former president of Zambia. He died on 5 June 2025 in Pretoria, South Africa aged 68.
The South African Supreme Court of Appeal ordered his body returned to a funeral parlour. It also told both governments to explain why they should not face contempt charges.
But the Pretoria High Court had already handed his body to the Zambian government on 22 April 2026. Zambia says it now has custody of the body.
That claim is based on an earlier court ruling allowing a state funeral in Zambia. Yet Lungu's family is fighting the Zambian government over where he should be buried.
The family says Lungu's last wish was that President Hichilema not attend or control his funeral. Lungu has been unburied for nearly a year.
Klear Note — Edgar Lungu led Zambia from 2015 to 2021. His death sparked a dispute between Zambia's government and his family over funeral plans.
Key Terms 5
- Supreme Court of Appeal
- South Africa's second highest court for reviewing decisions
- contempt
- Breaking or ignoring a court order
- custody
- Legal control or responsibility over something
- repatriation
- Returning a person's remains to their home country
- state funeral
- An official government funeral for an important leader