By Admore Mbonda in Kariba
The dispute over the mortal remains of late former Zambian President Edgar Lungu has erupted into a far-reaching diplomatic and legal crisis after confirmation that his body was removed from a mortuary in Pretoria this week under circumstances still clouded by secrecy.
What began as a bitter contest over burial protocols has now taken on the atmosphere of a political thriller—raising questions not only about who ordered the move, but also about how far state institutions in Zambia and South Africa are prepared to go to control the final chapter of a man widely regarded as a central figure in modern Zambian politics.
Many news outlet in Zambia Confirmed that Lungu’s body has been taken out of the mortuary in Pretoria.
However, details surrounding the operation—timing, authorization, and custody—remain unclear. No official documentation has been publicly verified from either the South African Department of Home Affairs or the Zambian High Commission to explain the removal.
Sources familiar with the developments say the transfer appears to have been conducted by a small private detail, but without any publicly traceable paperwork, the move has intensified suspicion among observers who say the process bypassed established procedures for handling high-profile foreign dignitaries and former heads of state.
Since Lungu died in South Africa last year, his remains have been at the centre of an unresolved and highly public disagreement between the family and the Zambian government.
Zambia’s position—under the administration of President Hakainde Hichilema—has been consistent: as a former head of state, Lungu is to receive full national honours and burial arrangements in Zambia, including interment at the Presidential Burial Site at Embassy Park.
Lungu’s family has resisted that insistence, insisting on a private burial in South Africa. They have argued that allowing the remains to rest privately would reduce tension and protect the dignity of the late president, pointing to what they describe as a hostile atmosphere in Lusaka during his final years.
Family representatives have also previously claimed that Lungu felt politically targeted late in his life, resulting in a breakdown of trust between his household and the current establishment.
Complicating the dispute further is a striking precedent connected to Zambia’s own burial tradition.
It is reported that the late President Edgar Lungu refused to allow the late president Kenneth Kaunda to be buried at Kaunda’s rural home.
Lungu, according to accounts of those close to the events, argued that Kaunda was “state property,” insisting instead on protocols befitting a former head of state.
That earlier stance is now being invoked by observers to challenge the logic of the current conflict—especially among those who argue that burial decisions in Zambia should remain anchored to state process, not political disagreement or family preference.
Legal analysts say the removal of Lungu’s body—at least as presented publicly—could place the South African government in an uncomfortable position.
South Africa’s courts have been handling the matter, weighing competing interests: the rights of the next of kin against the diplomatic and constitutional expectations of a sovereign neighbour.
With the body now reportedly outside the mortuary chain of custody, critics fear the judiciary may be effectively sidelined, leaving the case transformed from a legal contest into a matter of fait accompli—potentially narrowing options for both sides.
As of now, the whereabouts of Lungu’s remains are unconfirmed. Without official clarity, speculation is escalating: some observers believe the family may have moved first to prevent what they fear could be a forced repatriation, while others argue the state may be acting to ensure the body reaches Zambia before any court-backed process can fully play out.
Until verified information is released on where the remains are currently held, diplomatic friction between Lusaka and Pretoria is expected to intensify, with both sides increasingly under pressure from domestic audiences who see the handling of the dead as a measure of respect—or disregard—for the living.
The coming days are expected to determine whether the dispute ends with a negotiated burial plan or deepens into a sustained, cross-border legal confrontation—leaving Zambia to reckon not only with Lungu’s legacy, but with how power will define his final resting place.
About Author
