Speaker of the National Assembly, Nelly Mutti, has stated that the Zambian Government cannot withdraw the burial case of former President Edgar Lungu currently before South Africa’s top court, but that his family has the authority to do so.
Ms Mutti said the appellants in the matter are members of the Lungu family, who initiated the legal challenge against the repatriation of the former president’s remains to Zambia. She explained that as the parties who appealed the matter, the family holds the power to withdraw the case, not the Government of Zambia.
The Speaker described the situation as serious and advised Matero Member of Parliament, Miles Sampa, to help facilitate the return of Mr Lungu’s body to Zambia for burial.
Ms Mutti was responding to Mr Sampa’s question in Parliament regarding when the former president would be buried. Mr Sampa described the eight-month delay as unchristian and raised the matter while debating President Hakainde Hichilema’s State of the Nation Address on National Values and Principles.
During his submission, Mr Sampa appealed to Vice President Mutale Nalumango and Minister of Justice Princess Kasune to urge Attorney General Kabesha to withdraw the case to allow for the burial of the former president.
Mr Lungu died on June 5, 2025, and has not yet been buried due to an ongoing legal dispute between his family and the Zambian Government over his final resting place.
The family appealed a judgment by the High Court of South Africa, which ruled in favour of the Zambian Government that the former president should be buried in Zambia.
Lungu is not dead, and the reason why his family is filing all these worthless appeals is that they think that PF can win the elections. When that happens, Lungu can then come out of hiding, and claim that he went into hiding because the government of HH was after him