Family spokesperson for the late former President Edgar Lungu, Makebi Zulu, has alleged that a postmortem examination was carried out on the former Head of State without the family’s approval.
Mr Zulu said the procedure was conducted by South Africa’s forensic pathology services, which took custody of Mr Lungu’s remains after they were removed earlier this week from Two Mountains Burial Services.
According to Mr Zulu, the body was transported to the forensic facility by a diplomat from the Zambian Embassy, accompanied by police officers. He added that officials also presented a postmortem docket claiming that Mr Lungu may have died from poisoning, an allegation he strongly rejected.
He stated that the examination took place between 08:30 and 14:00 hours, despite what he described as standing legal directives concerning the handling of the former president’s remains.
Mr Zulu further revealed that the body had been dissected during the procedure. He said the family was now finalising affidavit documents to enable the transfer of Mr Lungu’s remains to a mortuary of their own choosing.
The postmortem comes amid ongoing investigations by South African authorities, who had sought to establish the exact cause of death.
Mr Lungu died on June 5, 2025, but has yet to be laid to rest because of a continuing dispute between his family and the Zambian Government over where he should be buried.
Earlier this week, Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha announced that the Zambian Government had taken possession of the former president’s remains after they were formally handed over following a ruling by the Pretoria High Court.
The remains were subsequently moved from Two Mountains Burial Services to a facility operated by the South African Government.
Picture: Lungu family