A new dramatic twist has emerged on the late former Zambian president Edgar Lungu’s burial saga as the Lusaka government demands access to the mortuary to confirm the authenticity of his body – lying in the morgue for almost two months – in line with the court order of Deputy Judge President Aubrey Phago Ledwana of the Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa.
This implies fears that the body might have been tampered with and that a burial date may now be imminent ahead of a court decision on the way forward on August 4.
Since his death in Pretoria on June 5, Lungu’s burial saga has been quite dramatic, divisive and protracted.
Lungu’s family wants to bury him in South Africa, while the Zambian government insists on a state funeral in Lusaka.
The government had proposed a state funeral to be presided over by President Hakainde Hichilema, but Lungu’s family vehemently opposed it, citing a long-standing political feud between the two rivals.
The South African High Court issued an order halting Lungu’s burial, scheduled for June 25, until the dispute over his final rites is resolved.
The court has set a hearing for August 4 to determine the next steps in funeral arrangements.
The Zambian government argues that, as a former head of state, Lungu deserves a state funeral with full military honors.
However, Lungu’s family claims that he left specific instructions forbidding Hichilema from attending his funeral.
Despite the court order, a memorial service was held for Lungu in Johannesburg, allowing friends and family to pay their respects.
Initially, an agreement was reached between the state and Lungu’s family to bury him on June 23 at the Presidential Burial Site in Lusaka.
But this plan was later disputed, leading to the current court battle.
The case highlights political complexities surrounding the burial of a former head of state in a polarised environment and tensions between tradition, national symbolism, and individual rights.
The same happened in Zimbabwe after the death of former president Robert Mugabe in Singapore in 2019, with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government at loggerheads with his family, particularly the widow Grace Mugabe and her children.
Government wanted Mugabe to be buried at Heroes Acre in Harare, but the family took him to his rural Zvimba home for burial, which is where he was eventually interred after a bitter quarrel.
The South African court’s decision will ultimately determine where and how Lungu will be laid to rest.
Newshawks
