The High Court in South Africa is expected to deliver a ruling today in a case involving the remains of former Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
The case stems from an appeal by the Lungu family against an earlier court decision directing that the former president’s body be repatriated to Zambia for burial with full state honours accorded to former heads of state.
The family has opposed the Zambian government’s plans for a state funeral, arguing for greater control over the burial arrangements.
The dispute has delayed the burial of the former president for more than a year. In June 2025, the family organised a burial ceremony in South Africa, but the Zambian government successfully obtained a court injunction stopping the proceedings.
As a result, Lungu’s remains have remained in South Africa pending the outcome of the legal process.
The former Zambian leader died on June 5, 2025.