An appeals court overturned an earlier ruling that would have allowed Zambia to repatriate Edgar Lungu’s remains for a state funeral.

Pretoria, South Africa (Running Africa) — The family of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu has secured a significant legal victory after South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that the late leader can be buried in South Africa, ending a months-long dispute with the Zambian government over his final resting place.

The appeals court on Tuesday overturned an earlier ruling by the Pretoria High Court that had authorized the repatriation of Lungu’s remains to Zambia for a state funeral and burial.

Lungu, who served as Zambia’s president from 2015 to 2021, died in Pretoria last year at the age of 68 following an undisclosed illness.

The case brought renewed attention to the strained political relationship between Lungu and his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema. Members of Lungu’s family had opposed plans for a state burial in Lusaka, arguing that the former president had expressed a desire not to have Hichilema involved in his funeral arrangements.

In its judgment, the Supreme Court of Appeal cited evidence suggesting that Lungu felt marginalized after leaving office and believed he would not receive a dignified farewell under the current administration. The court ultimately sided with the family’s wishes regarding his burial.

The Zambian government had sought to lay Lungu to rest alongside the country’s former heads of state at the presidential burial site in Lusaka, a location reserved for past national leaders.

Following the ruling, Zambian authorities said they disagreed with the court’s decision but would respect the judgment and pursue no further legal action, bringing a close to one of the region’s most closely watched political and legal disputes.

The decision marks the final chapter in a controversy that underscored the enduring political tensions surrounding one of Zambia’s most prominent former leaders.