Fight Over Former President's Body Gets Worse
Introduction
The Zambian government took the body of former President Edgar Lungu. This started a big fight about where to bury him. He died almost one year ago in South Africa.
Main Body
On 22 April 2026, the government said it had the body. A court in South Africa told them to take it. The body moved from one funeral home to another. But the family was not happy. The wife, Esther Lungu, went to court. She said another court order said the body must go back to the first funeral home. The family's lawyer said the government did not have a court order. A judge made a new order. She told the police and the government to return the body. The order is good until 21 May 2026. The fight is about where to bury him. The government wants a state funeral in Zambia. The family says the former president did not want the current president at his funeral. They want a private burial in South Africa. The two leaders were political enemies. Lungu was president from 2015 to 2021. In 2017, Hichilema was arrested for treason. He was in jail for four months. Then the charges went away. Lungu lost the 2021 election to Hichilema. He said the government stopped him from moving. The government said no. Earlier, in June 2025, a court stopped a funeral service. The family had to leave a church to go to court. A state funeral was cancelled two times. Lungu died on 5 June 2025. He was 68 years old. The police said they did not know about the problem. The foreign ministry did not answer.
Conclusion
The problem is not solved. The family wants the court to stop the government. The government says it has a court order. The two sides do not agree. It is not clear when this will end.