Nearly eleven months after his death, the remains of former Zambian president Edgar Chagwa Lungu (ECL) remain at the centre of an escalating legal and political dispute, with fresh developments this week deepening an already fraught standoff between the Zambian government and his family.
Lungu, who died on June 5, 2025 in Pretoria at the age of 68 while undergoing treatment, has yet to be buried due to a protracted disagreement over where and how he should be laid to rest. What began as a private family matter has evolved into a cross-border legal battle involving South African courts, state authorities, and competing claims over the handling of a former head of state.
The Zambian government, under President Hakainde Hichilema, has maintained that Lungu is entitled to a full state funeral and burial at Embassy Park in Lusaka, in accordance with national protocols for former presidents. Officials argue that the state has both a legal and symbolic duty to accord him a dignified send-off reflective of his office.
The Lungu family, however, has resisted those efforts, at times expressing a preference for a private burial in South Africa or insisting on conditions governing any ceremony in Zambia. Their position has been shaped by concerns over control of the funeral programme and the role of state officials in the process.
The dispute reached a critical point on August 8, 2025, when the Gauteng High Court ruled in favour of the Zambian government, declaring that it was entitled to repatriate the body for a state funeral. The court ordered that the remains be surrendered, holding that the national interest in honouring a former president could outweigh the family’s wishes.
Subsequent appeals by the family, including attempts to take the matter to the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa, extended the legal battle into 2026, with delays and procedural setbacks leaving the body in a Pretoria mortuary for months.
The matter took a dramatic turn on April 22, 2026, when authorities indicated that custody of the remains had effectively been transferred to the Zambian government following fresh proceedings in the Pretoria High Court. Officials said the body had been moved from a private funeral facility into state-controlled custody, paving the way for repatriation.
However, confusion and controversy quickly followed. A source close to the family told KBN TV, “It is true, they have stolen the body of ECL.” Family representatives and some media outlets claimed the remains had been removed without proper procedure, describing the situation as unlawful and raising concerns over how the court order was executed.
Counter-claims emerged within hours, suggesting the transfer had been authorised as part of engagements involving South African authorities, the Zambian government and the family, amid ongoing negotiations over a possible resolution. Reports also indicated police involvement at the mortuary and discussions around possible DNA verification, adding another layer of complexity to the unfolding situation.
Late Tuesday, family spokesperson and senior counsel Makebi Zulu said the legal fight had taken another turn.
“The Supreme Court has just given us a stay. The Government of Zambia and the Government of South Africa have been ordered to take back the body to Two Mountains Funeral Parlour,” he said, signalling fresh efforts to reverse the transfer and halt further action.
As of April 23, the position remains contested, with legal manoeuvres continuing and both sides issuing conflicting accounts. The family is reported to be pursuing urgent relief in court, while the Zambian government appears intent on proceeding with repatriation and funeral arrangements.
The prolonged delay has drawn increasing public scrutiny. In Zambia, opinion is sharply divided between those calling for a state burial to bring national closure and those who believe the family’s wishes should prevail. Cultural expectations around timely burial have also intensified criticism of the impasse, now approaching a year.
With no final agreement yet in place, the fate of Edgar Chagwa Lungu remains uncertain, as legal, political and personal interests continue to collide in a dispute that has left a former president unburied and a nation waiting for resolution.
