Ndiho Media,LLC.

By Ndiho Media

In a stunning last-minute twist, a South African court has halted the burial of Zambia’s former president Edgar Lungu just as a private ceremony was set to begin in Johannesburg. The move follows an urgent application by the Zambian government, which insists Lungu deserves a state funeral at home, not a quiet burial abroad.

The standoff has sparked a national debate and exposed deep-seated constitutional and political fissures.

Ndiho Media spoke to Dr. Sombo Muzata, Assistant Professor of Political Science at James Madison University and Research Associate at the University of Pretoria, who is currently in South Africa.

“This whole situation has laid bare the gaps in Zambia’s Constitution,” said Dr. Muzata. “We have no legal framework guiding how to bury a former head of state. What we’re seeing is confusion, emotion, and political tension playing out in real time.”

Lungu’s family pushed for a private burial in South Africa, citing personal wishes and mistrust of the current President, Hakainde Hichilema. But Dr. Muzata emphasized, “Even in death, President Lungu deserves dignity. The fact that his send-off is now tangled in legal and political drama is heartbreaking.”

While a final ruling is expected soon, Muzata says the real lesson is clear: “Zambia must learn from this. We need laws that define how to honor former leaders. Right now, we’re winging it — and it’s not working.”