JOHANNESBURG: A South African judge halted on Wednesday the burial of former Zambian president Edgar Lungu while the funeral service was underway, in an escalation of a standoff between his family and the government. Lungu, who died on Jun. 5 while seeking medical care in South Africa, was a rival of President Hakainde Hichilema, who wanted to lead a state funeral for his predecessor in Zambia. Lungu’s family opposed the plans and blocked his body from being repatriated, saying he would not have wanted Hichilema at his funeral.

The burial is scheduled for Wednesday in South Africa amid a dispute between the state and Lungu's family.

JOHANNESBURG: A South African judge halted on Wednesday the burial of former Zambian president Edgar Lungu while the funeral service was underway, in an escalation of a standoff…

JOHANNESBURG: The Zambian government filed last-minute legal papers seeking to stop the private burial of former President Edgar Lungu in South Africa on Wednesday, forcing…

Halt to burial in Johannesburg is latest chapter in feud Edgar Lungu had with his successor Hakainde Hichilema