The Pretoria High Court has set Friday, August 8, 2025, at 11:30 hours as the date and time to deliver its judgment in a case in which the Zambian government is seeking the repatriation of former President Edgar Lungu’s remains for burial in Zambia.
This follows the conclusion of submissions from both the Lungu family and the State on August 4, 2025.
In their submission, the Lungu family did not object to the repatriation of the former President’s body. However, they opposed the idea of President Hakainde Hichilema presiding over the funeral proceedings, in line with the wishes of former First Lady Esther Lungu.
During the hearing, the Lungu family’s lawyer, C.J. Welgemoed, was asked by the judges whether the return of the body to Zambia would present any issues.
He responded in the negative, stating that the core concern was President Hichilema’s involvement in the funeral.
Mr. Welgemoed argued that even in the absence of a formal statement from Mr. Lungu regarding his burial, the court should respect the wishes of his wife as next of kin, who feels it would be undignified for President Hichilema to preside over the ceremony.
The court, however, noted that it cannot issue an order barring the current President from presiding over the funeral.
Meanwhile, the Zambian government has maintained that the body should be repatriated and that Mr. Lungu should be accorded the honour befitting a former Head of State.
The case has drawn national attention, as it pits the government’s position against the preferences of the late President’s family.
By Darius Choonya, Pretoria, South Africa
