By Ritah Atukwatse,
LUSAKA
Zambia’s former President Edgar Lungu has passed away at the age of 68, his party, the Patriotic Front, announced. Lungu died on Thursday morning at Mediclinic Medforum Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa, where he had been receiving specialized treatment for an undisclosed illness.
Born on November 11, 1956, in Ndola, Zambia, Lungu was a lawyer by training. He served as Minister of Justice and Defense under former President Michael Sata before taking over the presidency in 2015 after Sata’s death. Lungu won a presidential election in 2016, securing a five-year term in office.
During his regime, Lungu oversaw significant infrastructure projects, but his administration was also criticized by accusations of democratic backsliding and heavy-handed tactics against critics. Zambia’s economy struggled under his leadership, culminating in the country defaulting on its international debt in 2020. This ultimately led to his defeat in the 2021 election by current President Hakainde Hichilema.
After initially retiring from politics, Lungu made a comeback in 2023, positioning himself as the leader of a new opposition alliance. However, the Constitutional Court barred him from running for another term, citing the country’s two-term presidential limit.
President Hichilema has expressed condolences to the Lungu family and ordered flags to fly at half-mast for seven days. Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the government and the Patriotic Front, with indications pointing to a state funeral befitting a former head of state.
