JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A South African court on Friday ruled in favor of the government of Zambia and ordered that it can repatriate the remains of its former president and bury him in his home country, against his family's wishes.
The Zambian government and the family of the late Edgar Lungu, Zambian president from 2015 to 2021, have been embroiled in a legal battle over his remains and burial.
Lungu died in June, aged 68, at a South African hospital following an undisclosed illness.
His family wanted him to be buried in South Africa and for the current President Hakainde Hichilema neither to attend his funeral nor be involved in its arrangements.
The family said it was Lungu's final wish that Hichilema should not get anywhere near his burial, but the Zambian government went to court to stop him from being buried in South Africa.
The court ruled on Friday that Zambia had the authority to hold a state funeral for its former leader.
The court noted that the Zambian courts have previously emphasized that a state funeral is a matter of public interest and protocol for a person of national significance.
“Such that even if a president has expressed a desire not to be given a state funeral, such a wish must be overridden by public interest,” said Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba.
Lungu's family applied for leave to appeal the ruling on Friday, but they will have to convince the same court that made the order that there are reasonable prospects for a different outcome.
Lungu and Hichilema were sworn political rivals. Their conflict led to Hichilema’s imprisonment in 2017, when Lungu was president.
Last year, Lungu accused Hichilema’s government of using police to harass him and restrict his movements. His family also said the government had initially prevented him from traveling to South Africa for treatment, a charge the government denied.
Zambia's Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha welcomed the ruling, telling reporters that he hoped it would bring the matter to a close even though the family still had a right to appeal.
“This is not winning. You don't win over a burial. It's just what makes good sense, that the former president of the Republic of Zambia should be buried in his own country, the country where he was president,” said Kabesha.
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Jacob Zimba in Lusaka contributed to this report.
AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
FILE -A supporter arrives for a Mass for former Zambian President Edgar Lungu, shown in a banner at right, at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Johannesburg, South Africa, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe), File)
OTTAWA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 28, 2026--
Today, Prodigy Clean Energy, a Canadian company, announced completion of a two year R&D program, advancing its Transportable Nuclear Power Plant (TNPP) technology as critical enabling infrastructure to deploy SMRs in remote regions. Prodigy’s TNPPs can package, transport and deploy any reactor, allowing end-users to customize facilities by gross power output and energy type. The Government of Canada provided a CAD$2,750,000 investment to Prodigy under its Enabling Small Modular Reactors (ESMR) program, to accelerate completion of the latest phase of R&D that demonstrates TNPP maturity and readiness for use in off-grid microreactor projects.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260128702340/en/
“To become a clean energy superpower, we need to deploy affordable, reliable, clean Canadian energy from coast to coast to coast – especially in rural, northern and remote regions, where there can be fewer options for families. That is why our new government is proud to support projects like Prodigy’s Transportable Nuclear Power Plant. By advancing promising Canadian technologies such as Prodigy’s, we are supporting economic growth in the North while strengthening Canada’s energy security,” said Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.
Bolstering energy security in Canada’s North is a top national priority. Baseload clean power is needed to increase essential services and infrastructure for off-grid Indigenous communities, including food and clean water security; enable upgrading and expansion of Canadian Forces and Coast Guard installations, Arctic ports and trade corridors; and to expand opportunities for the advancement of Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy.
SMRs and microreactors can generate emissions-free, always-on and cost-competitive energy when compared to diesel, but constructing them in Northern regions comes with unique challenges: remoteness and lack of transportation infrastructure drive up construction costs; weather is extreme, limiting construction windows; and increasing permafrost thaw presents new challenges for structural aging. Prodigy is addressing these issues by combining proven nuclear technologies with maritime factory fabrication, transport and construction practices, to deliver a fully-assembled nuclear plant, that meets Canadian regulatory requirements, to site. Upon arrival, the plant is fixed in place within a protected enclosure at the shoreline, either in a marine harbour or on land. Fueling and final commissioning are completed at the site before beginning power generation.
Northern Indigenous Rights Holders engaged noted benefits of using a TNPP for nuclear energy deployment, including accelerated project timeline; minimal disturbance of lands and wildlife during construction and operation; and reduced concerns around legacy waste since the TNPP is designed upfront to be completely removed and centrally decommissioned at end of service life.
Prodigy’s TNPP design for remote deployment was advanced using a surrogate TRISO-fueled microreactor. Work with Kinectrics, Lloyd’s Register, Serco, C-Job Naval Architects and Risktec performed prototypical testing, provided support to Prodigy’s TNPP lifecycle analysis, and assisted with screening Canada’s maritime supply chain capabilities, as well as those of Indigenous businesses, to lead different project phases. Siting assessments were carried out at potential deployment locations in the North with Indigenous Rights Holders.
“We are honoured to receive support from the Government of Canada. Prodigy’s TNPPs are technological solutions that improve SMR build standardization, manufacturing and deployment efficiency, and geographical reach – they will become effective tools to increase Arctic energy security. Early leadership in TNPPs has strengthened Canada’s global competitive edge in nuclear energy,” said Mathias Trojer, President and CEO, Prodigy Clean Energy.
Prodigy Microreactor Power Station TNPP. Image Credit: Prodigy Clean Energy.
