ANC veteran Tony Yengeni has strongly criticized a Pretoria High Court ruling ordering that the remains of former Zambian president Edgar Lungu be returned to Zambia for burial, against his family’s wishes.
Yengeni accused judges of overstepping their authority, stating: “Judges are now taking it upon themselves to decide who gets buried where, instead of the family. Who do they think they are?” His comments came after the court ruled that Lungu must be buried in Zambia, despite his relatives’ preference for a private burial in South Africa.
The Namibian government reportedly supported repatriating Lungu’s remains, but his family objected. While the reasons for choosing South Africa remain unclear, the court’s intervention has stirred legal and political debate.
Judges are now arrogating & usurping to themselves the right to decide who & where you must be buried & not your family..! Who do these judges think they are..?
— Tornado..Veteran 102 (@tyengeni1954) August 8, 2025
Yengeni’s outburst reflects broader concerns about judicial interference in personal and cultural family decisions, sparking mixed reactions over the ruling’s implications.