Former Zambian President Edgar Lungu was set for a private burial in South Africa on Wednesday until a South African court stepped in at the last minute and ordered an abrupt halt—marking the latest turn in a bitter dispute over where and how he should be buried. The order came after the Zambian government rushed to court Tuesday to secure an injunction, arguing that the late president receive a state funeral at home. The AP notes relatives were forced to "delay their appearance at a burial service and instead attend a courtroom hearing in the South African capital dressed in black funeral attire."
Lungu's family claims he left clear instructions prior to his June 5 death at age 68: that longtime political rival President Hakainde Hichilema not attend his funeral. The government counters that as a former head of state, Lungu "belongs to the nation" and should be buried in Zambia with full honors, at a cemetery where all presidents have historically been buried, reports the BBC. A state funeral for him in Zambia was twice canceled over the Hichilema issue, with the Zambian government saying Hichilema would preside over the funeral service.
The Pretoria High Court set an Aug. 4 date for another hearing, and a memorial service was then held for Lungu, though no burial occurred. The AP delves into the bad blood between the men, reporting that a year after Lungu bested Hichilema in the 2016 presidential election, his government jailed Hichilema for four months on treason charges because his convoy didn't yield to the president's motorcade on a road. The charges were ultimately dropped. Hichilema defeated Lungu in the 2021 vote.