Why a bitter political feud has left a former Zambian president unburied 10 months after his death

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A feud over his funeral has meant the body of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu still hasn't been buried nearly a year after he died in a South African hospital.

Lungu's family wanted to bury him in South Africa because of his bitter political rivalry with current Zambian leader Hakainde Hichilema. But the Zambian government has gone to court to win custody of Lungu's remains so that it can repatriate them for a state funeral.

A new twist in the monthslong drama came Wednesday when the Zambian government said it took custody of the body with the assistance of South African authorities, only for a court to order the remains returned to a funeral home where the family had kept them.

Here's what to know about the bizarre row that’s been a source of morbid fascination for people in both countries:

10 months on, still not buried

Lungu died on June 5 last year of an undisclosed illness at the age of 68, having traveled to South Africa for medical treatment. His family made plans to bury him in South Africa, refusing to return the body to Zambia for a state funeral to be attended by Hichilema.

The family, through a spokesperson, said it was because one of Lungu's last wishes was that Hichilema should not go “anywhere near his body” when he is buried. The Zambian government launched a court case to win custody of the remains, arguing a state funeral was in the national interest.

Zambian authorities also prepared a space for Lungu months ago in a cemetery where some of the country's ex-leaders are buried. The grave remains empty.

Bitter political rivals

Lungu and successor Hichilema were bitter political rivals in the southern African nation for years.

Lungu beat Hichilema in a 2016 election. A year later, Hichilema was imprisoned for four months on a charge of treason after failing to give way to the presidential motorcade on a road. The charge was dropped and Hichilema was released as advocacy groups condemned the arrest.

After Hichilema became president in 2021, Lungu claimed he was harassed by police and effectively placed under house arrest. His family said he was for a time prevented from leaving the country for medical treatment. Hichilema's government denied those allegations.

Lungu reportedly traveled to South Africa by slipping away to an airport unnoticed and buying a ticket at the counter.

Legal battle over the remains

The Zambian government's court case seeking custody of Lungu's body halted a planned funeral service for him in South Africa last June. The move forced members of Lungu's family — dressed in black funeral attire — to stop the service and travel to a courthouse for the urgent case.

A South African court later ruled in favor of the Zambian government and said the body should be repatriated. A date of May 12 was set for the body to be handed over.

Unlawful seizure of the body

The Zambian government announced late Wednesday that it had taken custody of Lungu's body and moved it from a mortuary at a private funeral home in the South African capital, Pretoria, to another facility in preparation for repatriation.

Soon after, a court ordered the government to return the body to the family immediately, accusing it of contempt of court because it attempted to take Lungu's remains before the agreed-upon date.

A new legal drama could now unfold after the court ordered the Zambian government — and South African authorities who apparently helped facilitate the moving of the body — to show why they shouldn't be charged with contempt of court.

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