A South African court ruled that the remains of former President Edgar Lungu may be repatriated to Zambia for a state funeral, despite family opposition. The court declared that individual wishes do not outweigh the state's right to honor a former leader. Lungu served as Zambia's president from 2015 to 2021 and died during medical treatment in South Africa. The Zambian government insisted on a state funeral, while Lungu's family favored burial in South Africa. The court mandated immediate surrender of Lungu's body to Zambian authorities, allowing the burial to proceed in Lusaka.
A former president's personal wishes or the wishes of his family cannot outweigh the right of the state to honor that individual with a state funeral.
The family wanted to bury him in South Africa, but the Zambian government insisted on holding a state funeral.
At the center of the dispute is the tension between Lungu and his successor, current President Hakainde Hichilema.
On Friday, the South African judge ordered the family 'to immediately surrender the body of the late president' to Zambian authorities.
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