Pretoria, South Africa — The Pretoria High Court will on Monday, 8 September 2025, hear the application by the family of the late former Zambian President Edgar Lungu for leave to appeal a ruling that ordered the repatriation of his remains to Zambia for a state funeral.
The dispute arose following Lungu’s death on 5 June 2025 in Pretoria. His family has maintained that he should be buried privately in South Africa, while the Zambian government insists he must be accorded an official state funeral in Lusaka.
On 8 August 2025, the High Court ruled in favour of the Zambian government, citing a verbal agreement reached shortly after Lungu’s passing and stressing the public interest in holding a state funeral for a former head of state.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, the Lungu family immediately filed papers seeking leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal. A hearing initially scheduled for mid-August was postponed to give room for possible settlement talks, but no agreement was reached.
The case now returns to court for a final determination on whether the family’s appeal can proceed. Legal experts say Monday’s decision will be crucial in clarifying the balance between a family’s burial rights and the state’s role in honouring national leaders.
The outcome is also being closely monitored in Zambia, where the controversy over Lungu’s final resting place has stirred political debate ahead of the 2026 elections.