A South African High Court has dismissed an appeal by the family of late Zambian President Edgar Lungu, paving the way for his remains to be flown back to Zambia for a state funeral. The Pretoria High Court, in its ruling on Tuesday, rejected the family’s bid to overturn an earlier judgment that gave the Zambian government the right to repatriate his body. The judges also ordered the family to cover legal costs, stressing there was no reasonable chance for a further appeal.
Lungu, who died on June 5 at age 68 while receiving specialised medical care in South Africa, has remained in the country as legal battles dragged on. His family argued that South African law should have applied instead of Zambian law, but the court disagreed. The judgment noted that Lungu was only in South Africa temporarily for medical reasons and that the dispute mainly involved foreign nationals.
Back in August, the same court had already made it clear that under Zambian law and public policy, the wishes of a former president or his family cannot override the state’s right to honour him with a national funeral and burial at the official site reserved for leaders. The family, however, had argued that Lungu wanted to be buried in Johannesburg and not have current President Hakainde Hichilema attend his funeral, pointing to ongoing political tensions between the two.
But South Africa’s Constitutional Court last month dismissed an attempt to escalate the case, saying the family failed to provide sufficient grounds for extraordinary intervention. With this latest ruling, legal experts say Zambia can now proceed with preparations to bring Lungu’s remains home.
The former president, who served from 2015 to 2021, is expected to be laid to rest in Lusaka with full state honours, in line with Zambian tradition. For many citizens, the repatriation closes a painful chapter and sets the stage for a national farewell.
