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The Bishops Council of Zambia has urged calm and respect for the rule of law following a ruling by South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal that allowed former president Edgar Lungu’s family to proceed with a private funeral.
Council vice president, Agness Pushi, said the church welcomed government’s decision not to pursue further legal action after the appellate court’s judgment.
“We commend the Government for respecting the decision of the court and choosing not to pursue further legal action in this matter,” Bishop Pushi said in a telephone interview on Wednesday.
She called on all parties involved to allow the burial process to proceed peacefully and urged Zambians to embrace reconciliation following the legal dispute over the late former president’s remains.
“Our prayers are with the Lungu family, and we hope that everything will go well as they make arrangements to lay their loved one to rest with dignity,” she said.
The South African Supreme Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the Lungu family, dismissing the Zambian government’s attempt to take custody of the former president’s remains.
The decision overturned an earlier ruling that had directed the family to surrender Mr Lungu’s body for repatriation to Zambia.
The Bishops Council appealed to all stakeholders to respect the court’s decision and ensure that the burial arrangements were conducted peacefully.
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