Former Zambian President Edgar Lungu’s Body Forcefully Repatriated
- The row for Zambia's former president, Edgar Lungu, has taken another turn as Zambia acted
- The Zambian government and Lungu’s family have been battling for his remains for months after his death
- The Zambian state stepped in, and netizens were disappointed in both parties in the battle for the body
Tebogo Mokwena, affiliated with Briefly News, covered local and international politics, political analysis, and interviews in South Africa for Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News during his 10 years of experience.
Source: Getty Images
ZAMBIA– The Zambian government has forcefully taken possession of former president Edgar Lungu, whose remains are in South Africa. This is because the government has locked horns with his family, which wants to give him a private burial against the government's wishes for a state burial.
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the Zambian government states that the body was transferred after Lungu's family did not appeal the Pretoria High Court's ruling in favour of the Zambian government's repatriation of Lungu. However, family spokesperson Makebi Zulu said on 22 April 2026 that the family's lawyers made an urgent application to the High Court to return Lungu's body to the funeral home where it was kept.
Why the fight for Lungu's remains?
Lungu's family has been locked in a bitter battle for Lungu since his death in June 2025 in Pretoria. However, his family lost a court case against the Zambian government. Zambia's president, Hakainde Hichilema, declared that Zungu, as a former head of state, must be given a state funeral. However, Lungu instructed his family not to allow Hichilema near his body due to the fraught relationship between the two.
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A court order Sultan Counsel posted on his @advocatemafu X account shows that the Pretoria High Court ordered Lungu's body to be returned to Two Maintains Burial Services after it was moved to a South African government-run facility.
View the tweet on X here:
Netizens slam both parties
South Africans commenting on Sophie Mokoena’s X tweet were disappointed in the fight for Lungu's remains.
Peak World said:
“This is so bad. I've never seen a former Head of State suffer like this, even after death. His body is being fought over in the courts. I wonder if he will ever truly rest in peace.”
Senator Se vezo Tshabangu said:
“Hichilema’s interest in the corpse of Lungu remains a mystery.”
Khethiwe said:
“This poor man has still not been buried. This is an abuse of a corpse, no matter how you look at it. Everyone involved should be ashamed. This is disgraceful.”
Craig Gatsheni asked:
“Will this man ever get to rest, even in his death?”
Jarzin Man said:
“What a waste of time and money. This should have been done ages ago. All this drama was unnecessary. The family should have negotiated with the Zambian Government from day one. The only winner in this debacle is the funeral parlour! They made a killing.”
David Mabuza’s family fights for his pension
In a related article, Briefly News reported that former deputy president David Mabuza's family and his wife, Nonhlanhla Patience Mnisi, locked horns over his R44 million pension payout. Mabuza died on 3 July 2025.
Tamara Silinda filed papers in Mpumalanga, alleging that her mother, Emunah, married Mabuza in a customary union. She applied for the payout to be paused until the rightful beneficiaries are finalised.
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Source: Briefly News
