The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has set aside a Gauteng High Court order that had granted the Zambian government authority to repatriate the remains of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu for a state funeral and burial in Zambia.

In a judgment delivered on Tuesday, 23 June 2026, the SCA upheld an appeal by the Lungu family, ruling that the Zambian government failed to establish a legal right to override the family’s decision regarding the late president’s burial.

Lungu died in June 2025 while receiving treatment in Pretoria. A prolonged legal battle ensued between his family, who wished to bury him privately in South Africa according to his expressed wishes, and the Zambian authorities, who sought a state funeral in Lusaka.

The SCA found that no binding agreement existed that entitled the Zambian government to take control of the remains, emphasising the primacy of family rights in the matter. The High Court order was set aside and replaced with one dismissing the Zambian government’s application with costs.

Family spokesperson Makebi Zulu welcomed the ruling, stating that the burial would now proceed in South Africa with dignity and in line with the late president’s wishes.

The Zambian government has indicated it will not pursue further appeals and will respect the court’s decision, bringing the long-running dispute to a close.

This outcome ends more than a year of legal wrangling and allows the Lungu family to lay the former leader to rest in Mzansi.8