A South African court on Friday ruled that Zambia’s late former president, Edgar Lungu, should be buried in his home country, despite opposition from his family.

The ruling brought a dramatic end to a two-month-long standoff between the Zambian government and Lungu’s family, who had insisted on burying him in South Africa. Lungu died in Pretoria on June 5 while receiving specialised treatment at a private clinic. He was 68.

Earlier plans

The Zambian government had planned a state funeral in Lusaka, but the late president’s widow and children rejected the move, blocking his repatriation. They claimed he would not have wanted his political rival, current President Hakainde Hichilema, at the funeral.

Zambian authorities, in turn, filed a lawsuit to halt the burial proceedings in South Africa, just as the family had begun funeral arrangements.

But a Pretoria court ruled on Friday that Zambian law prevailed over the family’s demands.

“A former president’s wishes or the wishes of his family cannot outweigh the right of the state to honour that individual with a state funeral,” the court said in its decision.

The judge further ordered the family “to immediately surrender the body of the late president” to Zambian authorities to enable his repatriation and burial in Lusaka.

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Although the cause of Lungu’s death was not disclosed, his Patriotic Front (PF) party said he had been undergoing specialised medical treatment in South Africa before his death.

Lungu, who came into power in 2015, led the copper-rich southern African nation until his 2021 defeat by Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND).

Since leaving office, his family has been caught in a web of legal troubles, which they believe is politically motivated. His wife and children have faced charges ranging from corruption to possession of suspected proceeds of crime.

In February, Lungu’s daughter, Tasila, was arrested on money laundering charges, after she had earlier been detained along with her mother and sister on fraud-related accusations in 2024. Her brother, Dalitso, is also currently facing corruption charges.