A South African court has halted plans to bury former Zambian President Edgar Lungu at a private ceremony in South Africa just as the ceremony was due to start, the BBC reported. This is the latest twist in a row between the Zambian government and Lungu's family over his burial, after the family opted for a private ceremony in South Africa, rather than a full state funeral at home. ALSO READ: Funeral row delays repatriation of former Zambian president’s body The Zambian government had filed an urgent case in the Pretoria High Court seeking to stop the burial planned by Lungu's family. The former president died on June 5 in a South African hospital at the age of 68. The court said that the funeral would not go ahead following an agreement between the parties. However, it appears that any funeral won't happen until August at the earliest. The dispute follows a long-standing feud between Lungu and his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema, with Lungu's family saying he had indicated that Hichilema should not attend his funeral. Following Lungu's death in South Africa, the family wanted to be in charge of the funeral arrangements, including the repatriation of his body, but the Zambian authorities sought to take control. ALSO READ: Former Zambian president Lungu to be buried in South Africa The government and his family later agreed he would have a state funeral before relations broke down over the precise arrangements, prompting the family to opt for a burial in South Africa. President Hichilema has since argued that Lungu, as a former president, belongs to the nation of Zambia and should be buried in the country. The Pretoria court gave Zambian Attorney General Mulilo D Kabesha until 4 July to submit his amended notice of motion in support of Lungu's repatriation to Zambia. His family has until 11 July to file their opposing papers. This matter will be heard as a special motion on the 4th of August 2025, the court said. The costs of the urgent application will be determined then. The Zambian government argues that personal wishes should not override the greater public interest, citing the case of founding President Kenneth Kaunda, who died in 2021. Kaunda's family said he wanted to be laid to rest next to his wife and not at the site designated by the government.
