Hichilema and Lungu's corpse mystery

The family of former Zambian president Edgar Chagwa Lungu has strongly condemned what it describes as an illegal postmortem conducted on his remains in South Africa, accusing authorities of defying a court order and violating the late leader's dignity.

In a statement, the family said South African police, working alongside Zambian officials, arrived at Two Mountains Funeral Services in Johannesburg on April 22 and pressured staff to release Lungu's body without the presence or consent of relatives.

The remains were then transported to the Tshwane Forensic Pathology Service in Pretoria, where they arrived later that evening. According to the family, a police officer identified as Sgt. Ngwenya, together with an unnamed Zambian diplomat, opened a postmortem docket citing "suspected poisoning" as the cause of death-allegedly based on information from a family member.

The family has firmly rejected this claim, stating that no such report exists and that the docket was not supported by any medical evidence or doctor's report.

Alarmed by the developments, the family's legal team approached the High Court in Pretoria on an urgent basis. Late that same night, the court issued an order directing the immediate return of Lungu's remains to the Johannesburg funeral home and calling on those involved to explain why they should not be held in contempt.

Despite the court order, the family alleges that a postmortem was conducted the following morning by Dr. Shirley Jena-Stuart at the Pretoria facility, reportedly at the instruction of Zambian authorities and the police officer involved.

The family argues that the procedure was unlawful and not covered by an earlier August 2025 court ruling, which only addressed the repatriation of Lungu's body to Zambia.

The remains were eventually released back to the family late on April 23, after intervention by senior South African police officials. The family has since regained custody.

Describing the incident as a "grave abuse of power" and a "clear contempt for the rule of law," the family said it is considering further legal action, including contempt proceedings.

The dispute comes amid an ongoing standoff between the Lungu family and current Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema over the handling of the former leader's burial.

More than 10 months after his death, Lungu's remains remain at the centre of a legal and political battle. A South African court previously ruled that the Zambian government has the right to repatriate the body for a state funeral, despite objections from the family.

"The wishes of the family cannot outweigh the right of the state to honour a former president," the court held in its earlier judgment.

Although the family sought to appeal, the deadline to do so expired last week. The matter is expected to return to court on May 21.

Lungu, Zambia's sixth republican president, served from 2015 to 2021 before losing power to Hichilema in a closely contested election.