# The Zambian government says it has taken possession of the body of former president Edgar Lungu. He passed away in South Africa on the 5th of June 2025; however, a court battle and subsequent appeal process over his remains have halted his burial. In August last year, the High Court in Pretoria ruled that the Zambian government can repatriate Lungu’s body and give him a state funeral, despite his family’s opposition. Lungu family’s appeal bid in the Supreme Court of Appeal lapsed after it failed to meet the deadlines.
Zambia’s government takes possession of former president Edgar Lungu’s body amid repatriation fight