Funeral proceedings for Zambia’s former president put on hold in South Africa
A South African court on Wednesday ordered an immediate halt to the private burial of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu in South Africa.
The court said the funeral should not proceed, pending an urgent application to determine whether Lungu will be repatriated to Zambia.
Wednesday’s court action took place as Lungu’s funeral service was underway.
Lungu, who died on June 5, was scheduled to be laid to rest Wednesday in a private ceremony in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, after the family opted for a private ceremony rather than a full state funeral in Zambia.
The latest row began when Zambia’s Attorney General, Mulilo Kabesha, filed an urgent court application on Tuesday to stop the funeral from proceeding. Kabesha reportedly argued that as a former head of state, Lungu should be accorded a state funeral in Zambia.
Despite the ongoing legal dispute, mourners gathered at Christ the King Cathedral in Johannesburg on Wednesday to pay their respects.
