Key facts
- The family of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu has won an appeal regarding his burial location.
- A South African appeals court ruled that Lungu's family should decide where he is buried.
- This decision overturns a previous ruling that allowed the Zambian government to repatriate the body for a state funeral.
- The court found the Zambian government did not have a legal right under South African law to override the family's wishes.
- The court also rejected the Zambian government's claim of a binding agreement with the family over the funeral arrangements.
South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled that the family of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu should decide where he is buried, overturning a lower court's decision. Lungu, who led Zambia from 2015 to 2021, died in South Africa a year ago and his body has remained there amid a dispute between his family and the Zambian government. The family prefers a private burial in South Africa, citing political rivalry with Lungu's successor, President Hakainde Hichilema, and Lungu's alleged wish not to have Hichilema present at his funeral. The Zambian government sought to repatriate the body for a state funeral in the designated presidential burial ground in Lusaka. The appeals court found that the Zambian government failed to demonstrate a legal right under South African law to override the family's wishes and rejected the claim of a finalized funeral agreement.