Hichilema's govt, Lungu family to face off in court over corpse

The Zambian government and the family of former president Edgar Lungu are set for a legal confrontation in the High Court in Pretoria on Thursday over the handling of his remains.

The dispute follows an urgent court order directing the Zambian authorities to return Lungu's body to a private mortuary, a ruling that came just hours after the government had acted on an earlier Gauteng High Court judgment permitting repatriation of the remains for a State funeral and burial in Zambia.

In response, the Zambian government has filed a reconsideration application challenging the urgent order, arguing that it was granted in its absence and based on incomplete information.

Authorities contend that the Lungu family failed to disclose key developments, including the lapse of an appeal before the Supreme Court of Appeal, the release of the remains to the South African Police Service, and an ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the former president's death.

The legal battle underscores deepening tensions between the state and the family over funeral arrangements and custody of the remains, with both sides asserting competing legal claims.

The outcome of the Pretoria High Court proceedings is expected to determine the immediate control and final disposition of Lungu's remains, as well as set the tone for how the matter proceeds in both South African and Zambian legal contexts.