Remains of ex-Zambian president Lungu to be kept at 'mutually agreed mortuary'

A South African court has ruled that the remains of the late Zambian president Edgar Lungu be placed in a "mutually agreed mortuary" in Pretoria.

The new order made on Thursday comes as Lungu's family forges ahead with its legal bid to have the former president buried in a private ceremony in Johannesburg.

His family has approached the Supreme Court to challenge a High Court ruling that the late president’s remains be repatriated to Zambia for a state funeral.

They say one of Lungu’s last wishes was that his political rival, incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema, should not preside over his funeral.

"We have agreed on a mortuary where the remains will be with access limited to the family” said Zambian lawyer, Makebi Zulu, who is also spokesperson for the family.

“If any other person wishes to have access to the body, they ought to make an application to the court with notice being given to the applicants in this particular matter," he said.

In a complicated legal case, the Zambian government had approached the Pretoria High Court on Thursday to have his remains moved to a mortuary of its choice in preparation for repatriation.

Last week, a court had ordered that Lungu’s body be returned to his family.

The decision came hours after the Zambian government had collected his remains from Two Mountains mortuary where it had been since his passing.

The family has accused the government of conducting a post-mortem while his body was in its possession.

With 10 months having passed since Lungu died, Zulu said the ongoing legal battle has been a “very painful process” for his loved ones.

"The family is in grief, more so that there was a post-mortem that was conducted without an order of the court, without the presence of any family member,” he said.

“Even the movement of the body from Two Mountains. There was no family that was present."

Lungu died in South Africa last June at a clinic where he was receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness.

Under Thursday’s order, the Zambian government will pay all related costs at the mortuary while awaiting the outcome of the family’s Supreme Court appeal.