Edgar Lungu, former Zambian president, dead at 68
Africa
By
AFP
| Jun 05, 2025
Zambia's former president Edgar Lungu, who held power for almost seven years until 2021, died Thursday in a hospital in South Africa at the age of 68, his party and family announced.
Lungu had been receiving specialised medical treatment in a clinic in Pretoria, the Patriotic Front, his political party, said in a statement.
"My father had been under medical supervision in recent weeks," his daughter Tasila Lungu-Mwansa announced in a video shared on social media.
"His condition was managed with dignity and privacy with support from all well-wishers," she said, without providing details of the cause of his death.
Lungu had suffered from recurring achalasia, a condition caused by narrowing of the oesophagus, for which he had been treated in South Africa.
READ MORE
End of an era: UK drinks giant Diageo set for Kenya exit, sells EABL stake for Sh297b
Kenya coffee market earns Sh1.87 billion on strong auction sales
Fluorspar project gets back on track
Bamburi to set up Sh32b clinker plant after Amsons takeover
How private sector is missing out on Kenya's preferential trade deals
Why KQ board has picked Egyptian Kamal to replace Kilavuka
Why Ruto's infrastructure Fund is in the spot
Boost for women in creative economy after new incubation funding deal
How venture capital firm is building the next generation of entrepreneurs
Why local brands must seize the front seat in entertainment sector's gold rush
Lungu, a trained military officer and lawyer, stepped down from the presidency in 2021 when veteran opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema, the current president, won elections by a landslide.
He had said he planned to run for president again in the 2026 elections.
He came into power in 2015, after the death in office of his predecessor, Michael Sata, and described himself as an "ordinary Zambian of humble beginnings".