PRETORIA HIGH COURT CASE AMENDED AS SOUTH AFRICA AGREES TO HAND OVER EDGAR LUNGU’S BODY TO ZAMBIA — IDENTITY FRAUD NETWORK EXPOSED IN THE DISINFORMATION SCANDAL
By ZimEye Investigations Desk | 8 July 2025
PRETORIA – The legal standoff over the body of the late Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has taken a decisive turn, with the South African government now formally agreeing to technically release the remains to the Zambian government, announcing that the late President must be accorded a state burial. This development has prompted Zambia’s Attorney General to file a Notice of Amendment in the Pretoria High Court, removing South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation as a respondent in the ongoing matter.
Filed under Case Number 2025-0965, the official court document states:
“By removing THE MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION as Ninth Respondent and by deleting paragraph (a) on the last page (signature) page thereof.”
Further, the document confirms that:
“By deleting paragraphs 3.11 and 3.12 of the Applicant’s Supplementary Founding Affidavit.”
This legal step marks South Africa’s withdrawal from the high-profile litigation and signifies Pretoria’s unopposed stance on Zambia reclaiming custody of its former leader’s remains.
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Zambian Government Clarifies Motive Amid Disinformation Attacks
Contrary to online claims suggesting political gamesmanship over Lungu’s final resting place, sources close to Zambia’s legal team insist the state’s motive is constitutional and rooted in respect for national sovereignty.
In response to online questions such as, “Why is Zambia so worried and fighting for the burial of a man against his wishes?”, ZimEye’s editorial team has responded that facts on the ground show that-
“Zambia is not worried about any corpse. Instead, individuals charged for money laundering with pending cases in Lusaka, who recently ganged up with Zimbabwean fraudsters, have spent the last 4 weeks publishing misleading rumours at a time when they are supposed to be in court in Lusaka. The Zambian suspects engaged the Zimbabwean fraudsters to help them attempt to effect the same damage they did on Nelson Chamisa, to do the same on Hakainde Hichilema.”
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Disinformation Actors Identified and Tracked
This case has exposed what analysts now describe as a cross-border propaganda and identity fraud syndicate, involving figures such as:
• Hopewell Chin’ono: a Zimbabwean journalist holding three separate legal identities (Hopewell Mukusha, Hopewell Chingono, and Hopewell Rugoho-Chin’ono), previously discredited by both Zimbabwean investigators and the British Embassy in Harare.
• Talent Rusere: a self-proclaimed South African lawyer and fake-academic who is not listed on any South African legal registry, but has appeared on SABC broadcasts pushing political content, including exaggerated and misleading data in relation to Mozambique’s 2024 elections.
These individuals have been noted for using media platforms, including the SABC, to publish unverified claims about political developments in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia—content now described by experts as an attempted disruption of Zambian civil society and legal order.
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SABC’s Role Under Scrutiny
The controversy peaked after a 5 June 2025 SABC broadcast in which Africa Editor Sophie Mokoena stated that Lungu had allegedly decided to remain in South Africa until after Zambia’s 2026 elections. The statement was presented without corroboration from the Zambian government or Lungu’s verified associates and has since been challenged as factually misleading in a formal complaint submitted to the SABC.
The Zambian Attorney General’s legal filings make no mention of such alleged wishes by Lungu to be buried in South Africa, further debunking the narrative pushed by foreign media contributors linked to identity fraud.
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Legal and Political Implications
The amendment filed in the Pretoria High Court, signed by VFV Attorneys representing the Zambian state, confirms:
“PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Applicant shall effect the amendments unless any objection is made thereto within 10 days from date hereof…”
“PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Applicant tenders the costs (if any) occasioned by the said amendment.”
This action removes a diplomatic bottleneck and gives Zambia legal clearance to proceed with a state-managed burial.
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South Africa’s govt withdrawal signals both a legal and diplomatic victory for Zambia. Yet, beneath the surface, the case has unveiled a far deeper threat—one where regional disinformation actors, emboldened by foreign media platforms, seek to hijack national processes and create confusion in sovereign jurisdictions.
With President Lungu’s repatriation now cleared, attention turns to how regional authorities will respond to the growing misuse of journalism by identity fraud networks—especially those tied to past incidents of civil unrest and democratic erosion in neighbouring states.
This story remains under investigation.
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Stay with @ZimEye for continued legal coverage from the Pretoria High Court and updates from Lusaka as state burial preparations begin.