{"id":32813,"date":"2025-08-18T21:05:06","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T19:05:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/?p=32813"},"modified":"2025-08-18T21:05:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T19:05:06","slug":"edgar-lungus-burial-dispute-postponed-indefinitely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/2025\/08\/18\/edgar-lungus-burial-dispute-postponed-indefinitely\/","title":{"rendered":"Edgar Lungu’s burial dispute postponed indefinitely"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo credit: AFP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Pretoria High Court has indefinitely postponed an application by the family of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu for leave to appeal a ruling ordering his repatriation to Zambia for burial.<\/p>\n

The postponement follows failed negotiations between the Lungu family and the Zambian government regarding the late president\u2019s final resting place. The discussions, believed to have taken place in private, did not yield a resolution.<\/p>\n

Lungu died in June at a hospital in Johannesburg.<\/p>\n

His family is seeking to have him buried in South Africa, where he passed away, despite the High Court\u2019s earlier ruling that his remains be returned to Zambia for a state funeral.<\/p>\n

The court has granted the family time to pursue a separate application for direct access to the Constitutional Court.<\/p>\n

In an affidavit, former First Lady Esther Lungu argued that the state should not dictate burial arrangements, stating that no one should be compelled to bury a loved one according to government mandates.<\/p>\n

She further claimed that her husband\u2019s dying wish was to prevent his political rival, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, from attending his funeral, something she believes would be ensured if the burial takes place in South Africa.<\/p>\n

Public opinion in South Africa is however divided, with some expressing support for Esther Lungu, arguing that her wishes and those of her late husband \u2014 should take precedence.<\/p>\n