SAPS orders funeral home to release Edgar Lungu’s body for post-mortem

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has ordered a funeral home holding the body of former Zambian presidentEdgar Lunguto release it for a post-mortem examination. The body is believed to be atTwo Mountains Burial Servicesin South Africa. SAPS said the post-mortem is needed to find out the real cause of Lungu’s death, following claims that he may have been poisoned.

Police said once the examination is done, the body will be returned to the funeral home. “This is a standard procedure when there are serious allegations about a death,” SAPS said in a notice. Lungu, who was Zambia’s president from 2015 to 2021, died in South Africa on June 5, 2025, where he had gone for medical treatment.

Soon after his death, rumours began spreading that he may have been poisoned. Although no clear evidence was given at first, the claims caused strong public debate in Zambia and across the region. Zambia’s Attorney General,Mulilo Kabesha, went to court to stop Lungu’s burial in South Africa.

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Kabesha said it was in the public interest for Lungu’s body to be taken back to Zambia so that proper investigations could be done at home. He argued that as a former president, Lungu’s death was not just a family matter, but a national issue that needed transparency. However, the former first family opposed the move, saying Lungu wanted to be buried in South Africa and accusing the government of using his death for political reasons.

The involvement ofSouth African Police Servicehas now turned the case into an international issue. Experts say the post-mortem results will be very important. If poisoning is ruled out, the matter may calm down.

But if something suspicious is found, it could lead to a full criminal investigation involving both countries. For now, Lungu’s body remains in South Africa as legal and political tensions continue over where he should be buried and what really caused his death.

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