Court rules Lungu body returned to Zambia

The High Court in Pretoria has dismissed with costs an appeal by the family of former Zambian president Edgar Lungu against the Zambian government.

- Molefe Seeletsa

The family had sought leave to appeal the earlier ruling that denied their intention to bury Lungu in South Africa, hoping to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).

Lungu died in June, sparking a legal battle between his family and the Zambian government over his final resting place.

In its judgment, the high court held that there were no reasonable prospects of success for the appeal.

It also rejected the family’s contention that Zambian law had no extraterritorial effect and, therefore, should not apply in South Africa.

“As for the application of Zambian law, the court considered that the deceased was on a temporary visit to the Republic [of South Africa] for medical reasons,” the judgment reads.