Plans to bury former Zambian President Edgar Lungu in South Africa were abruptly stopped after a Pretoria court issued a last-minute order halting the private ceremony.

The announcement was made to mourners only after a funeral mass had been held, throwing the farewell event into uncertainty.

The halted burial marks a dramatic turn in an ongoing dispute between Lungu’s family and the Zambian government, which has opposed the family’s decision to bury him outside the country.

The government had moved to the Pretoria High Court with an urgent application to stop the planned interment, insisting Lungu should be given a state funeral in Zambia.

Although the court stated that the funeral would not proceed due to an "agreement between the parties," it appears no burial will take place before August.

The legal standoff reflects the troubled relationship between Lungu and his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema—a conflict that appears to be lingering beyond Lungu’s death.

Lungu, who died in South Africa at the age of 68, had reportedly expressed a wish that Hichilema should not attend his funeral.

His family took charge of funeral plans and the repatriation process, but tensions rose when the Zambian authorities attempted to take over.

At one point, both parties reached a compromise for a state funeral in Zambia. However, the arrangement collapsed after disagreements over the details, leading the family to revert to their original plan of burying him in South Africa.

President Hichilema has maintained that Lungu, as a former head of state, “belongs to the nation of Zambia” and should be laid to rest there.

The Pretoria court has now given Attorney General Mulilo D Kabesha until 4 July to file an amended notice of motion supporting Lungu’s repatriation. Lungu’s family has until 11 July to present their response.

“This matter will be heard as a special motion on the 4th of August 2025,” the court ruled, adding that decisions on legal costs would also be made on that day.

The Zambian government has argued that national interest should override personal or family wishes in the case of a public figure. Officials have cited the example of founding President Kenneth Kaunda, whose family said he wished to be buried next to his wife. Despite this, the government interred him at Embassy Memorial Park in Lusaka in 2021.

This latest episode highlights how the strained relationship between Lungu and Hichilema—once marked by political rivalry and even imprisonment—has now spilled into a battle over how the former president should be remembered.

During Lungu’s presidency, Hichilema was detained for more than 100 days over an incident involving a motorcade dispute, underscoring the deep divisions between the two.