JOHANNESBURG, South Africa 

A high court in South Africa's capital, Pretoria, ruled on Friday that the remains of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu be repatriated to Zambia for a state funeral, despite opposition from his family.

Lungu’s family had hoped to bury the 68-year-old in South Africa, where he passed away on June 5 while receiving specialized treatment, citing political tensions with current President Hakainde Hichilema and Lungu’s expressed wish that Hichilema not attend the funeral.

In late June, the Zambian government filed an urgent court application to prevent the private funeral arranged by the family in Johannesburg.

“It is ordered that the applicant is entitled to repatriate the body of the late President Edgar Lungu for a state funeral and burial in Embassy Park, Lusaka, Zambia,” Gauteng Deputy Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba said in his verdict in favor of the Zambian government.

Ledwaba said the authority to hold a state funeral for a former president was intimately linked to Zambian public law.

“The court held that under Zambian law and as a matter of public policy, a former president’s personal wishes or the wishes of his family cannot outweigh the right of the state to honor that individual with a state funeral and burial at the official site designated for national leaders.’’

Lungu’s widow was seen sobbing in court following the ruling as family members comforted her.

Lungu, a lawyer by profession, was the country's sixth president, serving from 2015 to 2021 before losing to Hichilema. He was the country's sole surviving former head of state.