BLOEMFONTEIN — A South African appeals court heard arguments on May 29, 2026, regarding a dispute over the burial location of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu.

Lungu, who served as Zambia’s president from 2015 to 2021, died of an undisclosed illness in a South African hospital on June 5, 2025, at the age of 68. As of May 2026, he had not been buried due to a legal and political disagreement between his family and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema.

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema wants Lungu’s body returned to Zambia for a state funeral. The Pretoria High Court ruled in August 2025 that Lungu’s remains be turned over to Zambian diplomats for repatriation. Lungu’s family appealed that decision to South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal, seeking to bury him in South Africa and objecting to any involvement by President Hichilema in the funeral proceedings.

Family lawyer Tembeka Ngcukaitobi argued that the Zambian government’s claim to a state burial was unwarranted because Lungu’s presidential benefits were revoked before his death. Ngcukaitobi also contended that a widow’s wishes should take precedence in burial decisions.

Ben Stoop, lawyer for the Zambian government, countered that the family and government had previously agreed that President Hichilema would attend the funeral and receive dignitaries. Stoop added that the family later violated the agreement regarding Hichilema’s role at the funeral.

During the hearing, the five justices of the Supreme Court of Appeal questioned the absence of any explicit instructions from Lungu stating that he intended to be buried in South Africa. The court did not announce when it would issue a ruling on the appeal.