How Political Rivalry Delayed Edgar Lungu’s Burial for Over a Year

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LUSAKA — When a former president dies, a nation usually comes together to mourn. Flags fly at half-mast, leaders deliver speeches, and the state lays its former leader to rest with national honors.


However, when Edgar Chagwa Lungu—the sixth president of Zambia—passed away at the age of 68 in a South African hospital, peace did not follow. Instead, a long and bitter dispute broke out over where his body should be buried.

For over a year, the body of the former head of state remained in a mortuary far from home. The unprecedented delay was driven by political feuds, private last wishes, and intense legal battles between the government and the leader's family.

A Bitter Political Rivalry


To understand why the burial was delayed, one must look at the history between Edgar Lungu and the current President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema.

For years, the two men were fierce political rivals. During Lungu’s presidency from 2015 to 2021, political tensions in Zambia ran high. In 2021, Hichilema defeated Lungu in a landmark election.

Even after Lungu stepped down, tension between his supporters and the new government persisted. When Lungu passed away while receiving medical care in South Africa, those political rivalries immediately resurfaced.

State Protocol vs. Family Wishes


Under Zambian state protocol, a former president is granted an official state funeral and buried in the national presidential burial ground in the capital city, Lusaka. The Zambian government sought to follow this standard procedure to give Lungu a grand state farewell.

However, Lungu’s family—led by his widow, Esther Lungu—strongly objected.

According to the family, Edgar Lungu left clear instructions before his death:

  • He did not want a state funeral hosted by President Hichilema.

  • He did not want his body returned to Zambia under the terms of the current administration.

  • He requested to be buried privately in South Africa.

The Battle in Court


Because neither side was willing to back down, the dispute moved to South African courtrooms.

The legal conflict centered on two key questions:

  1. Does a government have the legal right to bring back and bury a former head of state?

  2. Or does a family have the ultimate right to carry out a deceased relative's private final wishes?

Initial court rulings favored the Zambian government, ordering the body to be returned home for an official burial. However, the Lungu family appealed the rulings.

For months, the body remained in storage in Johannesburg as both sides filed appeals and counter-claims.

Finally, South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the Lungu family. The court affirmed that the family held the legal right to bury Edgar Lungu in South Africa, prioritizing his personal wishes over official state protocol.

A Rare Precedent in Modern History


The story of Edgar Lungu's delayed burial highlights a rare clash between state traditions and personal rights.

While official custom usually determines how public figures are honored after death, this case demonstrated that personal wishes can legally override state protocol. Though the resolution took far longer than expected, the final court decision gave the family closure and allowed the former president to finally be laid to rest.

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