Why this former president’s burial was cancelled at the eleventh hour

• The Zambian government obtained a last-minute court order to stop the private burial of former President Edgar Lungu in South Africa.
• Lungu's family had arranged a private burial in South Africa, while the Zambian government insisted on a state funeral in Zambia.
• The Pretoria High Court ruled that the burial would not proceed until the dispute over the funeral location is decided, setting a new hearing for August 4.
• This legal challenge is the latest development in a month-long disagreement between the government and Lungu's family regarding his final resting place.
• The dispute is rooted in a bitter political feud between Lungu, who served as Zambia's leader from 2015 to 2021, and current President Hakainde Hichilema.

IN FULL

Last-minute court order halts former president’s burial in South Africa