A Pretoria court has ruled that Zambia may take back the remains of former president Edgar Lungu and arrange a state burial in Lusaka.
This ends a legal fight between the Zambian government and Lungu’s family over where he should be laid to rest.
Lungu died in South Africa in early June while receiving medical care.
Plans for a private burial in Johannesburg were stopped in late June when a court order paused the ceremony pending a full hearing.
The late leader’s family had pushed for a burial in South Africa. Family members also asked that current President Hakainde Hichilema not attend or take part in funeral arrangements, saying this was Lungu’s wish.
The government argued that a former head of state should be buried at home under national custom, and it asked the court to allow repatriation.
Judges found that public interest and national protocol give the state a role in arranging a funeral for a former president.
The court ordered that officials hand Lungu’s remains to Zambian authorities so a state ceremony can take place.
Reports say officials plan to give full military honours and bury him at the site normally used for heads of state in Lusaka.
The decision may still face legal steps from the family, who retain the right to challenge the ruling.
For now, officials in both countries must work on logistics for moving the body and planning the state funeral.
The case has shown how personal wishes, family rights, and public duties can clash when a national leader dies away from home.