The family of Zambia's late President, Edgar Lungu, announced on Friday, June 20, 2025, that he would be buried in South Africa, rather than his home country, after a significant dispute with the Zambian government over the arrangements for a state funeral. Lungu, who died in a Pretoria hospital on June 5 at the age of 68 after receiving specialized treatment, was initially slated for a state burial in Lusaka on June 22. However, his family intervened, preventing his body from being repatriated from South Africa. This decision stemmed from their objection to President Hakainde Hichilema's plan to receive the body upon arrival, which went against the late leader's purported wishes for a private ceremony.

Makebi Zulu, a spokesman for the Lungu family, confirmed in a statement that the funeral and burial would take place in South Africa "in accordance with the family’s wishes for a private ceremony." The family expressed gratitude to the South African government for its "non-interference and respect of the… rights of the family," and emphasized their desire for peace and unity among Zambians during this period. Lungu's political party, the Patriotic Front, supported the family's stance, accusing the Zambian government of attempting to politicize the funeral proceedings.

In response to the family's refusal to repatriate the body, President Hichilema abruptly ended the extended period of national mourning for Lungu. The mourning period, which had been prolonged to June 23 to coincide with the planned state funeral, was officially concluded four days early on June 19. Hichilema justified his decision by stating that the country could not afford an "indefinite mourning" and that while Lungu belonged to his family, he also belonged to the nation. He reiterated that the government had done everything possible to engage the family and remained open to further discussions, stressing that the deceased deserved national honors in his home country, including military honors and flags at half-mast, which would have been accorded had the body returned to Lusaka.

The deep-seated political rivalry between Edgar Lungu and Hakainde Hichilema played a significant role in this unprecedented situation. Lungu, who served as Zambia's president from 2015 to 2021 before losing to Hichilema in the 2021 elections, reportedly specified in his will that the current president should not attend his funeral or view his body. This rivalry had previously manifested in Hichilema's government barring Lungu from flying to South Africa for specialized treatment and imposing a ban on him from vying for the presidency again. Furthermore, members of Lungu's family, including his wife and children (daughter Tasila and son Dalitso), have faced corruption and money laundering charges, which the family has dismissed as a political vendetta.

The decision to bury Lungu in South Africa marks him as the first foreign leader to be interred in the country. While the cause of his death was not officially announced, his party stated he had been receiving specialized treatment in Pretoria. Leaders across Africa offered their condolences. Kenyan President William Ruto eulogized Lungu as a committed personality, and former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta remembered him as a distinguished statesman. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed pride in his country for having hosted Lungu for treatment, sharing in the grief of the family and the Zambian nation.