The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has dismissed an appeal by the family of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu, reaffirming its earlier decision to allow the Zambian government to repatriate his remains for a state funeral.
The court ruled on Tuesday that the family’s application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal lacked merit and would not proceed.
This outcome confirms the court’s previous judgment, which authorised the release of Lungu’s body to his home country for official burial rites.
The family had argued that the case raised significant legal questions deserving of consideration by South Africa’s highest court.
However, the court found no reasonable prospects of success and emphasized that the matter was rooted in specific factual circumstances, making it unlikely to set a precedent for future cases.
The legal dispute began in June when the high court unexpectedly halted the family’s plans to conduct a private burial in South Africa.
That ruling came just moments before the ceremony was scheduled to begin in Gauteng. In a subsequent decision last month, the court ordered that Lungu’s body be released for repatriation to Zambia.
Deputy Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba of the Gauteng Division stated at the time that the Zambian government was entitled to proceed with the state funeral.
The latest ruling, which includes a cost order against the Lungu family, brings the legal battle to a close and clears the way for Zambia to honour its former leader according to national tradition.
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