Trending Now - Zambia Claims Ex-president's Body Amid Family Burial Dispute

WHO:

ABC News - The Zambian government and Edgar Lungu's family are involved in a dispute over his burial.

ABC News - Edgar Lungu was the former President of Zambia, serving from 2015 to 2021.

ABC News - Hakainde Hichilema is the current President of Zambia and a political rival of Lungu.

WHAT:

ABC News - The Zambian government announced it took custody of Lungu's body with the assistance of South African authorities.

BBC News - A South African court ordered the body to be returned to a funeral home, accusing the Zambian government of contempt of court for moving the body before the agreed-upon date.

BBC News - A date of May 12, 2026, was set for the body to be handed over to the Zambian government.

ABC News - The Zambian government claims custody of Edgar Lungu's body after a South African court ordered its release to them.

ABC News - Lungu's family claims a separate court order exists that mandates the body be returned to the funeral home.

ABC News - The Zambian government intends for Lungu to have a state funeral and be buried in a cemetery designated for Zambian leaders.

ABC News - Lungu died of an undisclosed illness on June 5, 2022, at the age of 68.

WHERE:

ABC News - The body was moved from a funeral home in Pretoria, South Africa, to another facility.

ABC News - The dispute is taking place in South African courts.

WHEN:

ABC News - Edgar Lungu died on June 5, 2022.

ABC News - The Zambian government obtained a court order in June 2022 to stop Lungu's funeral service in South Africa.

WHY:

BBC News - Lungu's family claims one of his last wishes was that Hichilema should not preside over his funeral, which is a key reason for the ongoing dispute.

ABC News - The dispute is rooted in the political rivalry between Lungu and Hakainde Hichilema, with Lungu's family asserting that one of his last wishes was for Hichilema not to preside over his funeral.

HOW:

ABC News - The Zambian government moved Lungu's body from a mortuary at a private funeral home in Pretoria to another facility in preparation for repatriation.

ABC News - The Zambian government took custody of Lungu's body following a court order from South Africa.

(UPDATED April 23, 2026 23:18 UTC)

The Zambian government has taken custody of the body of former President Lungu with help from South African authorities, but a South African court has ordered the body to be returned to a funeral home, citing contempt of court for the premature transfer. A date of May 12th, has been set for the body to be handed over to Zambia, amid claims from Lungu's family that he wished for President Hichilema not to preside over his funeral, fueling the ongoing dispute. The Zambian government had moved Lungu's body from a private funeral home in Pretoria to another facility in preparation for repatriation.

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(UPDATED April 23, 2026 11:22 UTC)

A dispute has erupted between the Zambian government and the family of Edgar Lungu over his burial, as the government claims custody of his body after a South African court ordered its release to them. Lungu, who served as Zambia's President from 2015 to 2021, died June 5thth, 2022, and his family argues that a separate court order mandates the body be returned to the funeral home, citing his wish for Hakainde Hichilema, the current President and a political rival, not to preside over his funeral. The Zambian government plans for Lungu to have a state funeral and be buried in a cemetery designated for Zambian leaders, while the legal battle continues in South African courts.