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. ALSO READ: New twist as South African court halts burial of ex-Zambia president 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. Read the full story here
