Esther Lungu, former president Edgar Lungu's wife, and the family have expressed profound relief following a landmark judgment from the Supreme Court of Appeal.
The family of former Zambian president Edgar Lungu has welcomed the judgment delivered by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) on Tuesday, which confirmed their right to keep the late leader buried in South Africa.
Lungu, who served as Zambia's president from 2015 to 2021, died in Johannesburg in June 2025 while undergoing medical treatment. His passing set off a contentious dispute over burial arrangements, with the Zambian government seeking to repatriate his remains for a state funeral in his home country.
Initially, the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, sided with the Zambian government, endorsing the repatriation effort.
However, Lungu’s family, spearheaded by his wife, Esther Lungu, remained unyielding, contesting the High Court's decision, arguing that the ruling infringed upon their rights and Lungu's last expressed wishes, claiming he had long desired a private burial in South Africa that excluded government involvement.
