By 
Zambia’s Attorney General, Mulilo Kabesha, has filed an urgent application in the Gauteng High Court seeking the return of the remains of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, amid escalating legal tensions between the Zambian government and the late leader’s family.
Kabesha’s legal team is challenging an earlier ex-parte court order which directed that Lungu’s body be returned to Two Mountains Burial Services or another facility designated by the family.
Read more:Lungu family accuses South African police of unlawful handling of ex-president’s body
The Zambian government argured that the Lungu family obtained the order in their absence and further cited three material non-disclosures to support their bid.
According to court filings, Kabesha contended that the South African Police Service (SAPS) had initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Lungu’s death and were legally entitled to conduct a post-mortem examination as part of an inquest.
The Zambian government further claimed that the remains were initially obtained by representatives of the late president’s family under conditions that did not fully account for the ongoing investigation.
In a controversial turn of events, the Zambian authorities took custody of Lungu’s body from Two Mountains on April 22, 2026, arguing that the family’s appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal had lapsed.
The following day, April 23, a post-mortem examination was conducted at Tshwane Forensic Services in Pretoria. Government officials maintain that this step was lawful and necessary under the circumstances, while the family has disputed the move, stating it was carried out without their knowledge or consent.
This development comes despite an existing High Court order directing that the former president’s remains be returned immediately to a facility chosen by the family.
The case continues to unfold, with both legal and diplomatic implications as proceedings in the Gauteng High Court move forward.
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