South African court halt burial of ex-President of Zambia
(MENAFN) A South African court intervened to stop the private burial of Zambia’s former President Edgar Lungu just as the ceremony was about to begin, following a legal dispute between his family and the Zambian government over funeral arrangements.
Mourners gathered at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Johannesburg were reportedly informed of the court’s decision only after the funeral mass had ended.
Initially, the Zambian government intended to hold a state funeral led by current President Hichilema, while Lungu’s family preferred a private burial in South Africa. Although both parties later agreed on a state funeral, disagreements emerged over the specific details.
President Hichilema had previously stated that the Zambian people were ready to receive Lungu’s remains on June 18 but expressed surprise at the family’s sudden reversal of the agreed plan. He emphasized that “while we recognize that he belongs to a family, he also belongs to the nation of Zambia,” and argued that it was appropriate for the “6th Republican President to be buried in Zambia with full honors.”
The Zambian Attorney General, Mulilo Kabesha, filed an urgent application in Pretoria’s High Court on Tuesday to prevent the burial planned by Lungu’s family. Kabesha cited legal requirements for state funerals with full military honors, referencing an earlier court decision related to the burial of Zambia’s first president, Kenneth Kaunda.
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