A South African court on Friday, August 8, ordered the repatriation of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu's body for a state funeral, siding with Zambia's government over his family who wanted him buried in South Africa, not in the presence of his successor, Reuters reported.

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Lungu, Zambia's head of state from 2015 to 2021, died in South Africa on June 5 while receiving medical treatment.

South Africa's high court halted plans for Lungu to be buried in Johannesburg on June 25, hours before a private ceremony was due to start.

Zambia's government had approached the court arguing that Lungu should be given a state funeral and buried at a designated site in the Zambian capital Lusaka, like all other presidents since independence from Britain in 1964.

Lungu's family said he did not want current President Hakainde Hichilema, a longstanding political rival and his successor, at his funeral.

On Friday, a high court judge in Pretoria said Lungu's body should be handed over to a representative of Zambia's court system for repatriation.

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