A pressure group based in South Africa has appealed to the family of the late former Zambian president Edgar Chagwa Lungu to withdraw a court case relating to his burial arrangements, stating that continued litigation risks delaying closure for the family, supporters, and the wider public.
The appeal follows ongoing legal proceedings in South Africa concerning the burial of Lungu, who died while receiving medical attention outside Zambia. The case has attracted public attention in both Zambia and South Africa, given Lungu’s status as a former head of state and the sensitivities surrounding burial rites, family wishes, and national considerations.
In a statement, the pressure group said it was calling on the Lungu family to reconsider the legal route and explore alternative ways of resolving the matter. The group stated that prolonged court action could complicate an already emotional situation and extend uncertainty around burial arrangements.
The group emphasised that burial matters are deeply personal and cultural, but noted that disputes involving cross-border legal processes often take time to resolve due to jurisdictional and procedural requirements. It said this could result in extended delays before a final decision is reached.
According to the group, the ongoing legal proceedings risk diverting attention from mourning and remembrance, while also creating uncertainty for those wishing to pay their respects. The group said withdrawal of the case would allow space for dialogue and resolution outside the courtroom.
The burial dispute is currently before South African courts, with the Lungu family pursuing legal action to assert its position on burial arrangements. Legal representatives for the family have maintained that the matter requires judicial determination, citing concerns they believe warrant court intervention.
The South African pressure group stated that it was not seeking to undermine the family’s rights, but was instead urging consideration of the broader implications of prolonged litigation. It said burial disputes involving prominent figures often benefit from mediation or negotiated settlement rather than extended court processes.
Legal experts note that burial disputes can raise complex questions involving family law, customary practices, and jurisdiction, particularly when death occurs outside the deceased’s home country. In such cases, courts are often asked to balance family wishes with legal frameworks governing burial and repatriation.
The group stated that its appeal was motivated by a desire for closure and respect for the deceased. It said that continued litigation could deepen divisions and prolong uncertainty, while a negotiated resolution could allow burial arrangements to proceed without further delay.
In Zambia, the burial of former presidents carries national significance, often involving state participation and public ceremonies. The dispute has therefore attracted attention beyond the immediate family, with many Zambians closely following developments.
The pressure group did not indicate whether it had engaged directly with the Lungu family or their legal representatives, but said it hoped its appeal would encourage reflection on the consequences of continued court action.
The family has not publicly responded to the appeal. Legal proceedings remain ongoing, and no ruling has yet been delivered by the South African courts.
Observers note that the outcome of the case will determine the next steps in the burial process, including whether arrangements can proceed in accordance with the family’s wishes or whether alternative approaches will be adopted following judicial guidance.
The pressure group is busy wasting everybodys time, who ever told them that they have the mandate to do the silly things they are doing. There is an impasse and in any civil society, if there is a impasse, the correct thing to do is to go to court. Do these chaps even know who took the other to court first? And for clarity, any funeral is a family issue, the state comes later and it is not even a must that the state should come as there is no such law in the Zambian statutes.
The south Africans don’t want that dead body to be there any longer. It should be thrown aeay
Pressure group? let them try farming.
True, like your grandmother
Let the corpse be examined and let the burial take place.
They were hoping the corpse will influence elections , or……….
They wait after UPND is out of GRZ , which they hoped was this year…………
Unfortunately they have to wait until atleast 2031……..
FWD2041
Exactly.
ECL and the way it was handled will play a big part in the election
Tikki
“ ECL and the way it was handled will play a big part in the election”
I don’t think so…….
people have moved on and are busy surviving………
Only hard core PF are affected by this , and this number is dwindling every day
FWD2041
That’s akin to witchcraft ,voodoo or abuse of a corpse. I’ve seen Nigeria’s ritual killings whereby they believe a kidnapped man’s head can be used to attract wealth.All are totally EVIL .
Exactly, nomba insoni kikikiki.
Let the state wise and simpathize and plead with the Family.
You must be sick man; increase your dosage of your medication! State to plead with Esther – what for? The old woman that doesn’t want to bury, you must be joking! Kapena udwala mutu iwe ayi? Say something sensible not anything that comes to your head.
Everybody is waiting for election results before they can make a decision. Lungu family hopes another government comes in so that they can come and bury here but if upnd still wins they will continue fighting.
That is Makobili Zulu’s weird thinking! Let them wait until 2041!
How many brown envelopes have been passed around?
Who is this pressure group? Are they Zambians or South Africans? Is it a political or legal experts?
Let the Lungu family Bury their own dead, full stop.
Being dull is your problem, the title says a South African Group, which part cant you understand.
“Let the dead bury the dead” -Jesus Christ .
Of course Jesus meant “the spiritually dead” but in Zambia’s case it is the politically dead PF insiders holding the nation hostage with this prolonged saga .Hopefully it comes back to bite them.
The opportunity for the charms is still there
Hard work ,good policies and ethical governance are the MUST HAVE essentials for electoral wins.But then again maybe we deserve all the poverty/underdevelopment we’ve witnessed since 1964 bcoz we’ve used tribalism and abuse of a corpse to gain votes.
Who took who to court? How can yiu withdraw a matter you never began? Come on just come and farm ibstead of soiling RSA
Pressure Group from where?
it says South African group …. where do you think SA is? Isnt your dead president in SA, isnt your former 1st family in SA. What idiosy is this?
South Africans don’t want him buried there, period! It also does not help to retain a Tombolilo lawyer like Makebi Zulu whose only job in life is furiously trying to suck his own masculine genitalia! Zulu and Sangwapo are the same.