🇿🇲 BRIEFING | SA Police Question Lungu Family in Alleged Poisoning Probe
South African police have recorded statements from five members of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu’s family in an investigation linked to allegations that he may have been poisoned, according to correspondence from the family’s lawyers.
The development adds a new and dramatic layer to an already prolonged cross-border dispute over Mr. Lungu’s remains, which have been held in a South African funeral facility for eight months amid an ongoing legal battle between the Zambian government and the former first family over repatriation and burial arrangements.
In a letter seen by local media, Mashele Attorneys Inc, representing the Lungu family, confirmed compliance with five subpoenas issued as part of what it described as a criminal investigation into the alleged poisoning of the former president.
“Our office has complied with five subpoenas issued in connection with the criminal investigation concerning the alleged poisoning of the late former President Edgar Lungu,” the lawyers wrote, adding that statements had been delivered in accordance with criminal proceedings.
The law firm did not specify which relatives were questioned, and the family has denied the poisoning allegations, maintaining that the claims are “unfounded and unsupported by credible evidence,” a position the lawyers say has been placed on official record.
The letter also indicates that South African police have issued a subpoena to Two Mountains Funeral Services, where Mr. Lungu’s body is being held, directing that the remains be released into police custody.
However, the family’s lawyers have objected, arguing that two existing High Court orders require the body to remain with the funeral home until the conclusion of legal proceedings, noting that leave to appeal has already been granted by South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal.
“Those orders are binding and operative,” the lawyers said, warning that removal of the body without judicial variation would be unlawful.
South African police have not publicly detailed the scope or basis of the investigation. Attempts by the reporting outlet to reach SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe were unsuccessful.
The case unfolds against an intensely politicised backdrop in Zambia, where Mr. Lungu’s death has continued to reverberate through opposition politics and national institutions. Since his passing in June 2025, the burial dispute has become intertwined with broader claims of persecution, state power, and unresolved succession struggles within the former ruling Patriotic Front.
Opposition-aligned voices in Lusaka have framed the latest police action as evidence that the Zambian state is using South African authorities to gain access to Mr. Lungu’s remains, a claim for which no independent evidence has been presented.
On social media, some PF supporters have circulated inflammatory narratives suggesting ritual intent or political interference, despite the absence of verified proof, forensic disclosure, or official confirmation supporting such assertions.
What is clear is that Mr. Lungu’s death is increasingly becoming more than a personal tragedy or a legal dispute. It is evolving into a symbolic national fault line, where grief, politics, and institutional authority collide.
For now, the only established facts are procedural: subpoenas have been issued, statements recorded, and court orders remain in force while the appeal process continues. Everything else remains allegation, interpretation, and political contestation.
© The People’s Brief | Francine Lilu