Nearly eight months after the death of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu in South Africa, the dispute over his remains has taken another dramatic turn. His family is now pushing back against claims that he was poisoned, insisting there is no substance to the allegation.
Lawyers for the Lungu family confirmed that South African authorities are seeking custody of the late president’s body as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. In correspondence addressed to police, the family’s legal team said they are participating in the process but firmly reject the basis of the probe.
The letter states that the family is co-operating with “criminal proceedings”, yet describes the accusations as “unfounded and unsupported by credible evidence”.
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Lungu died at 68 in June last year at a clinic in Pretoria following an undisclosed illness. He governed Zambia from 2015 until his 2021 electoral defeat to President Hakainde Hichilema. Since his passing, his body has remained in a South African morgue while a legal tug-of-war plays out between his relatives and the Zambian government over where he should be laid to rest.
Zambia has been seeking to return his remains for a state funeral with full honors. In August, a South African court ruled in favor of repatriation. However, the family maintains that Lungu wished to be buried privately in South Africa and did not want Hichilema present at his funeral, reflecting the strained relationship between the two men.
The most recent development stems from a letter dated 11 February 2026, sent by Johannesburg-based Mashele Attorneys to South African police. The firm confirmed it had, on behalf of the family, “complied with the five subpoenas issued” in connection with an investigation examining poisoning claims.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it is our clients’ instruction that the allegations underlying the criminal case are denied,” the letter said.
Neo Mashele of Mashele Attorneys told the BBC that the police inquiry appears to have been triggered by a “public utterance” about a poisoning allegation made by one of Lungu’s daughters that was “absolutely not true”.
The firm also expressed alarm over what it described as an additional subpoena directed at the funeral home responsible for holding Lungu’s remains. According to the letter, two High Court rulings stipulate that “possession and custody of the body remain with Two Mountains Funeral Services pending the finalization of the legal proceedings”.
“Those orders are binding and operative,” the letter said.
An official at the morgue confirmed to the BBC that the former president’s body is “under tight security [and] surveillance 24/7”.
Meanwhile, Mrs Lungu has stayed in South Africa since her husband’s death and is spearheading the legal challenge to prevent his repatriation. Last week, she lodged a notice at the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein, seeking to overturn the earlier judgment that authorized the return of his body to Zambia.
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