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The Zambian government confirmed on Wednesday that it has taken possession of the remains of former President Edgar Lungu, who passed away in South Africa 10 months ago.
Lungu, who served as Zambia’s president from 2015 to 2021 and died at the age of 68 in June 2025, had been the subject of a lengthy legal dispute regarding the repatriation of his remains.
Following his death, tensions quickly rose between his family and the government regarding his final resting place.
The government argued that as a former head of state, Lungu should be honoured with a state funeral and laid to rest in the presidential burial ground in Lusaka, alongside his predecessors.
However, Lungu’s family had different wishes. They sought a private burial for the former president after negotiations over the funeral arrangements broke down. Despite these disputes, the Zambian government pushed for Lungu’s remains to be repatriated and honoured in a state funeral.
In August 2025, a South African court ruled that the Zambian government could indeed repatriate Lungu’s body and conduct a state funeral.
The Lungu family had initially appealed the court’s ruling, seeking to block the government’s plans. However, their appeal bid lapsed after they failed to meet crucial deadlines set in collaboration with the Zambian government and approved by the Supreme Court of Appeal.
The Zambian government has now moved forward with the execution of the court’s decision, marking a significant step towards returning Lungu’s remains to Zambia, where he is expected to receive a state funeral in accordance with the country’s national traditions.
The exact timeline for the repatriation, however, remains uncertain.
The conflict over Lungu’s final resting place reflects the deep political divides between him and Hichilema, whose relationship had been fraught with tension even before Lungu lost the 2021 election in a landslide.
The execution of the judgment follows months of legal back and forth, but with the family’s appeal dismissed, the path is now clear for Lungu’s final journey home.
