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3w ago

South African Court Halts Burial of Former Zambian President During Service

After Zambia’s government sought an urgent injunction to halt a private burial, a South African judge scheduled a follow-up hearing for August 4 to decide Lungu’s final resting place.

FILE - Zambian President Edgar Lungu attends the Southern African Development Community's leaders' conference in Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, file)
FILE - Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema arrives at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Wednesday, May 10, 2023, to meet French President Emmanuel Macron. Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema will discuss with French President Emmanuel Macron on economic issues. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, file)
Mourners gather in front of a banner ahead of the funeral of Zambia's former President Edgar Lungu, who died on June 5 while receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness in a South African hospital, before a church service at the Cathedral of Christ the King, and a private burial, in Hillbrow, Johannesburg June 25, 2025. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
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Overview

  • Lungu died on June 5 in a South African hospital at age 68; the cause of his death was not publicly announced.
  • His family arranged a private funeral in Johannesburg to honor his wish that President Hichilema not attend, rejecting calls for a state ceremony in Zambia.
  • Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha filed an urgent injunction on June 24 in a Gauteng court to stop the burial under Zambian law that mandates full military honors with a state ceremony at home.
  • A Gauteng High Court judge halted the ceremony mid-service after parties agreed not to proceed, scheduling a follow-up hearing for August 4 to resolve the dispute.
  • The legal battle over Lungu’s resting place reignites their longstanding political rivalry that included Lungu’s 2016 election victory, Hichilema’s detention on treason charges in 2017, followed by Hichilema’s 2021 presidential win.