The Supreme Court of Appeal in South Africa has ruled that the family of the late former Zambian President Edgar Lungu maintains the right to determine the location of his burial, rejecting the Zambian government's repatriation request.

南非最高上訴法院裁定，已故前贊比亞總統 Edgar Lungu 的家屬保有決定其安葬地點的權利，並駁回了贊比亞政府要求將遺體遣返的請求。

The judicial determination follows a protracted legal conflict initiated after the demise of Edgar Lungu on June 5, 2025, in Pretoria, South Africa. The Zambian administration sought the repatriation of the remains to facilitate interment within the designated presidential cemetery in Lusaka, citing national protocol and the status of the deceased as a former head of state. Conversely, the Lungu family advocated for a private burial within South African jurisdiction, asserting that such an arrangement aligned with the deceased's final directives.

此次司法裁定源於 Edgar Lungu 於 2025 年 6 月 5 日在南非比勒陀利亞去世後引起的長期法律衝突。贊比亞政府尋求將遺體遣返，以便在盧沙卡的指定總統公墓安葬，理由是符合國家禮節以及死者作為前國家元首的身份。相反，Lungu 家屬主張在南非司法管轄區內進行私人葬禮，並聲稱此安排符合死者的最終指示。

This dispute is situated within a broader context of political antagonism between Lungu, who held the presidency from 2015 to 2021, and his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema. Historical friction is evidenced by the 2021 electoral transition and the prior four-month incarceration of Hichilema on treason charges during Lungu's tenure. The family's refusal to permit a state funeral was predicated on the explicit wish that President Hichilema be excluded from the proceedings.

這場爭端處於 Lungu（2015 年至 2021 年擔任總統）與其繼任者總統 Hakainde Hichilema 之間更廣泛的政治對立背景下。歷史摩擦體現在 2021 年的選舉過渡，以及 Hichilema 在 Lungu 任期內曾因叛國罪被監禁四個月。家屬拒絕允許舉行國葬，是基於死者明確希望總統 Hichilema 不要參與相關程序。

Procedurally, the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned a prior High Court ruling in Pretoria that had favored the Zambian government. The appellate panel concluded that constitutional and common law rights pertaining to familial autonomy supersede the state's claims of custody. While the remains were briefly transferred to Zambian authorities in April following conflicting court directives, they were subsequently returned to the mortuary pending the final adjudication.

在程序上，最高上訴法院推翻了先前比勒陀利亞高等法院支持贊比亞政府的裁決。上訴小組結論認為，涉及家庭自主權的憲法和普通法權利優於國家的保管權主張。雖然遺體在 4 月因法院指令衝突而短暫移交給贊比亞當局，但隨後在最終裁決前被送回停屍間。

The South African judiciary has prioritized familial rights over state protocol, although the Zambian government retains the option to seek further recourse through the Constitutional Court.

南非司法機關將家庭權利優先於國家禮節，儘管贊比亞政府仍保有透過憲法法院尋求進一步救濟的選項。