A South African judge on Wednesday stopped the burial of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu while the funeral service was already underway, intensifying a dispute between his family and the Zambian government.
Lungu, who passed away on June 5 while receiving medical treatment in South Africa, was a political rival of current Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema. President Hichilema had planned to hold a state funeral for Lungu in Zambia, but Lungu’s family opposed the move and prevented the repatriation of his body, stating that Lungu would not have wanted Hichilema to attend his funeral.
In response, the Zambian government filed a lawsuit to halt the burial in South Africa. During the funeral service, a Gauteng High Court judge ruled that, following an agreement between the parties, the burial would not proceed. The case has been adjourned and is scheduled for hearing on August 4.
The decision was broadcast live by South African national broadcaster SABC, showing mourners gathered at the church. Zambian lawmaker Chanda Katotobwe, present at the memorial service, expressed that the adjournment prolongs the pain and grief experienced by the family and the nation.
Edgar Lungu, who served as Zambia’s president from 2015 to 2021, died at the age of 68. The cause of his death has not been publicly disclosed. His Patriotic Front party confirmed he had been receiving specialized medical treatment at a clinic in Pretoria.
