Last-minute court order halts former president’s burial in South Africa
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Why this former president’s burial was cancelled at the eleventh hour
- The Zambian government obtained a last-minute court order to stop the private burial of former President Edgar Lungu in South Africa.
- Lungu's family had arranged a private burial in South Africa, while the Zambian government insisted on a state funeral in Zambia.
- The Pretoria High Court ruled that the burial would not proceed until the dispute over the funeral location is decided, setting a new hearing for August 4.
- This legal challenge is the latest development in a month-long disagreement between the government and Lungu's family regarding his final resting place.
- The dispute is rooted in a bitter political feud between Lungu, who served as Zambia's leader from 2015 to 2021, and current President Hakainde Hichilema.