Edgar Lungu's family want his body to be returned to their mortuary of choice. A tug-of-war to decide who should bury the former president's remains and where the final resting place should be has been raging on since he died in June 2025. While his family wants to bury him in a private ceremony in South Africa, the Zambian government wants a state funeral in Lusaka. However, Lungu's widow, Esther, lodged an urgent application wanting her husband's remains returned to a private mortuary where they have been kept for almost a year. This request comes after the body was handed over to Zambian authorities without the family's permission.