A court in Zambia has ordered the government to hand former President Edgar Lungu's body back to a funeral home amid a controversial, high-profile dispute over his funeral arrangements.
A South African court has ruled that Zambia can repatriate the body of former President Edgar Lungu for a state funeral, despite his family's opposition to a public burial in South Africa. The family plans to appeal the decision, and Lungu's body remains in Pretoria under security. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between Lungu's family and the Zambian government over funeral arrangements.
A South African court has temporarily halted the private burial of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu in South Africa amid a dispute between his family and the Zambian government over the funeral arrangements, with tensions rooted in political and national interests.
Zambia's Constitutional Court has barred former President Edgar Lungu from running for re-election in 2026, ruling that he has already served the maximum two terms allowed by law. Lungu, who was first elected in 2015 to complete the term of his predecessor, argued that this partial term should not count, but the court disagreed. This decision ends a legal battle and clarifies the eligibility criteria for future presidential candidates. Lungu accepted the verdict but criticized it as politically manipulated, while the government welcomed the ruling as a safeguard for democracy.