The Zambian government says it has taken custody of the body of former President Edgar Lungu, escalating a long-running dispute with his family over burial arrangements.
Lungu died in June at a medical facility in South Africa, where he was receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness.
In a statement on Wednesday, Zambia’s Attorney General confirmed that the government had taken custody of the former president’s remains after they were removed from a funeral home in Pretoria.
The development comes despite claims from Lungu’s family that a separate urgent court order had directed that his body be returned to the facility.
The family had been pushing for a private burial ceremony in Johannesburg, reportedly excluding incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema, who was Lungu’s political rival.
However, a South African High Court had earlier ruled in favour of the Zambian government, ordering the repatriation of Lungu’s remains for a state funeral.
The family maintains that one of Lungu’s final wishes was that President Hichilema should not be involved in his funeral proceedings or have contact with his body.
Lungu served as Zambia’s president from 2015 to 2021, losing re-election by a wide margin to Hichilema.
His presidency was marked by political tension with Hichilema, who was arrested during Lungu’s tenure on treason charges, detained for four months, and later released after international pressure led to the charges being dropped.
In the years following the 2021 election, Lungu alleged that his movements were restricted by security forces and that he was effectively placed under house arrest to block any political comeback—claims which the Hichilema administration denied.
The latest dispute over his burial highlights lingering political divisions in Zambia even after the end of Lungu’s presidency, with both legal and familial battles now shaping the final chapter of his legacy.
