South African court orders Zambia to return former president's body

Just hours after the Zambian government said it had taken possession of ex-President Edgar Lungu's body, a court in South Africa - where Lungu died - has ordered the body to be returned. It is the latest twist in a 10-month saga over what should happen to his remains following a long-standing feud between Lungu and his successor, President Hakainde...

Just hours after the Zambian government said it had taken possession of ex-President Edgar Lungu's body, a court in South Africa - where Lungu died - has ordered the body to be returned.

It is the latest twist in a 10-month saga over what should happen to his remains following a long-standing feud between Lungu and his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema.

The government has long maintained that, as a former head of state, Lungu should be honoured in the country and buried alongside his predecessors in the special presidential burial ground in the capital, Lusaka.

But Lungu's family wanted a private burial after negotiations with the government over the funeral arrangements broke down.