South African court rules that Zambia can repatriate body of ex-president

A South African court has ruled that Zambia's government can repatriate the body of former President Edgar Lungu and give him a state funeral, despite his family's opposition.

The Pretoria high court ruled in favour of the Zambian state, which had previously applied to block the family's plans to bury him privately in South Africa, where he died in June.

The state, at the time, argued that personal wishes should not override the greater public interest.

The dispute follows a long-standing feud between Lungu and his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema, with Lungu's family saying he had indicated that Hichilema should not attend his funeral.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.