BREAKING LEGAL DRAMA: “Lawyer Needs a Lawyer” – Makebi Zulu Named in Pretoria Lawsuit as Lungu Family Faces Skyrocketing Legal Bills
By A Correspondent | PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA — In a jaw-dropping legal twist, prominent Zambian lawyer and politician Makebi Zulu has found himself at the center of an international legal showdown — one so tangled, it’s now being joked that even the lawyer needs a lawyer.
The family of late former Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu is reportedly paying a staggering legal bill to Zulu, who is spearheading the family’s efforts to bury the late leader in South Africa — a move now facing fierce resistance from the Zambian government. But here’s the catch: Zulu is not admitted to the South African Bar, and by law, cannot argue in South African courts without meeting strict legal thresholds, including registering through the Legal Practice Council — just as no South African lawyer can argue in Zambian courts without passing through the ZIA.
The matter escalated dramatically this week when Zambia’s Attorney General, Mr. Mulilo D. Kabesha SC, filed a public interest litigation in the Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa, Pretoria, seeking an urgent interdict to halt the burial.
The State vs. The Family
The lawsuit targets the Lungu family — including former First Lady Esther Nyawa Lungu, daughters Tasila and Bertha, sons Chiyesu and Dalitso, and associates Charles Phiri and Makebi Zulu — along with Two Mountains Pty, the South African funeral home currently holding Lungu’s remains.
Kabesha argues that Lungu’s burial is not a private family affair, but a matter of national interest, governed by Zambian law which mandates military honours and ceremonial rites for a former Head of State. Even if Lungu expressed a preference for a more discreet burial abroad — a claim Kabesha disputes — the Attorney General maintains that public interest must override personal wishes.
He cites the precedent of Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia’s founding president, whose own family’s burial preferences were set aside by the Zambian courts in favour of interment at Embassy Park, the official burial site for the country’s top statesmen.
The interim court hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, 25th June 2025 at 08:00hrs, where the Pretoria High Court will decide whether to halt the burial pending full resolution of the dispute.
A Legal Feeding Frenzy
But beyond the constitutional questions and political symbolism, a new drama is unfolding — the lawyers are cashing in.
With multiple high-profile parties lawyered up in two countries, some observers say Zambia is witnessing the beginning of a legal gold rush. “We are talking about dozens of billable hours, cross-border consultations, constitutional arguments, and possible appeals,” one legal insider noted. “And Makebi Zulu, even if he can’t argue in South Africa himself, is at the heart of it.”
Ironically, Zulu — a sharp legal mind known for courtroom theatrics in Lusaka — might now need South African legal representation to defend himself in a Pretoria courtroom. “He’s a lawyer, but now he’ll need a lawyer,” one source quipped.
As the funeral becomes a courtroom battlefield, it’s not just about where Lungu will be buried — but who will profit most before he is.
Who Pays the Bill?
Reports suggest the Lungu family’s legal tab is ballooning, with some critics asking if state resources are being used indirectly. Meanwhile, public interest in the case is surging, with calls for full transparency on who is funding whom — and how much Zambians may ultimately pay for this constitutional fight over one man’s final resting place.
As the Pretoria court convenes at dawn tomorrow, one thing is clear: when presidents die, lawyers live.