Honey Attorneys of South Africa, acting on behalf of the Zambian government, have taken possession of the late former President Edgar Lungu's body from Two Mountains Mortuary, where it has been held for over ten months. 

In responding to the attorney's request on Tuesday, the registrar of the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein indicated that the period for the Lungu family to file the grounds against the Pretoria High Court had elapsed. 

Subsequently, the August judgement was enforced late Wednesday, and the body of Zambia's sixth President was handed over to the state. 

Currently, the remains of the late Edgar Lungu are in the custody of the South African Police Service (SAPS), who are equally interested in the body for an autopsy. 

The interest of the SAPS arises from allegations made by a senior member of the Patriotic Front Party of Zambia, which the late Lungu led, claiming that the former head of state was poisoned.

The allegation was made on live state television days after Lungu's death on 5 June 2025.

Zambia's Attorney General, Mulilo Kabesha, confirmed in a statement released on Wednesday night that "the mortal remains of the late Edgar Lungu have been handed over to the government for burial". 

Kabesha says that the government will engage the Lungu family on state burial arrangements slated for Embassy Park in Lusaka, where other late Presidents, including the Founding President Kenneth Kaunda, are buried. 

Lungu family spokesperson Makebi Zulu last night also issued a statement that they had obtained a Supreme Court order to the effect that "the South African Police Service, the National Commissioner of Police, the Minister of Police, the Government of the Republic of Zambia, Two Mountains Burial Services and South Africa's minister of International Relations, collectively as defendants, should return the body." 

However, Two Mountains Burial Services, through their attorneys, ENG of Randburg, have declined to be part of the order and stated that they would not accept custody of the body again. 

They contended that the circumstances of the dispute between the Lungu family and the Zambian government had made them incur high legal costs, and it's high time they were out of the impasse. 

The South African Police Service has yet to announce the conclusion of their investigations. 

Until then, the burial of the late former President Edgar Lungu remains hanging.