Edgar Lungu's wife, Esther, says in an affidavit that her husband had insisted that Hakainde Hichilema should be 'nowhere near his funeral or body'. Lungu's family says he was repeatedly denied permission to travel to South Africa for medical care and argues that his cancer could have been treated if identified sooner.

The Zambian government accuses his widow of making 'scandalous and vexatious' allegations.

The family of the late former Zambian president Edgar Lungu says plans to repatriate his body to Zambia were halted over the government's inclusion of current president Hakainde Hichilema in the funeral programme.

In papers submitted to the High Court in Pretoria, former first lady Esther Lungu has explained why the family has refused to allow the Zambian government to repatriate Lungu's remains to Zambia, forcing a court battle over who has the right to bury the former head of state.

Esther Lungu, who now lives in Centurion, is adamant that her late husband would not have wanted to be buried by the Zambian government if Hichilema was involved in the funeral. A draft programme released by the government showed that Hichilema would play a key role, presiding over the burial of his one-time rival.

"During...