Edgar Lungu: Why did South African court order the return of former president's body to Zambia?

Last August, the South African High Court in Pretoria ruled that the Zambian government should repatriate the body and give it a state funeral – an outcome that left Lungu's relatives visibly upset at the court.

The Di family appealed against the decision, but in a surprise announcement late on Wednesday night, the Zambian government said the South African court had not “formally transferred” Lungu.

According to the DI statement, the DI transfer took place when the Lungu family was no longer fit for the DI appeal court to “continue with the DI case”.

But just hours later, the same South African court ordered the Zambian government to return the body pending a return to court on 21 May.

To make Di Mata worse, Two Mountains Burial Services, Di Funeral Home Via Dame Bin basically tells the Lungu body don tok not to accept them again, and tells the Di Lungu family to find an alternative.

In an interview on the Zambian YouTube news channel, the Lungu family Tok-Tok Pesin Makebi Zulu Bin No Gri says that the appeals process has failed, and added that they follow the correct procedure.

Former President Bin died of an undisclosed illness at the age of 68 in a clinic in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa.

Kasala erupted after the death, as mourners began receiving separate communications from the government and Lungu's political party, the Patriotic Front (PF).

Bin Day announced two separate mourning periods and, at one point, competing mourning books on the day.

Lungu, who led Zambia from 2015 to 2021, had significant disagreements with Hichilema, serving as opposition leader for several years before eventually ousting his bitter rival from power.

After Lungu's death, my family said the former president did not want Hichilema to attend my funeral or be “anywhere near” my body.

After Afta Lungu's death in South Africa at the age of 68, his family wanted to be in charge of the funeral arrangements, including repatriating the body, but the Zambian authorities wanted control over Everitin.

After much back-and-forth, the government and family later agreed that they would hold a state funeral, with both sides disagreeing on the exact arrangements, but the family decided to bury the late president in South Africa.

In an address, President Hichilema said that Lungu, as a former President, “belongs to the nation of Zambia” and therefore I believe that “he is buried with full honors for Zambia, and not for any ODA nation”.

However, due to the crisis, he announced an immediate end to the mourning period, saying he needed to “resume normal life”.

“The government is making every possible effort to dialogue with the family of our late sixth president,” it said.

The period of national mourning was initially from 8 to 14 June, but was later extended to 23 June, with flags flying at half-mast and music being played on radio stations.

President Hichilema and senior officials welcomed Lungu's coffin with full military honours.

However, the Lungu family has put off his repatriation until the last minute, demanding that the government renege on the agreement on funeral plans.

The current disagreement over Lungu burial highlights the strained relations between me and my successor, which persisted in life and will continue in death.

When Wayne Lungu became president, he imprisoned Hichilema for more than 100 days on charges of treason after he allegedly refused to give way to Hichilema's convoy.

Without the intervention of the Commonwealth before the release of Hichilema. Four years later, and after five attempts at the presidency, Hichilema defeated Lungu.