Africa
Zambian Founding Father And Former President Kenneth Kaunda Is Dead
- Kaunda’s office had on Monday said he was “unwell and was admitted to… Maina Soko Medical Centre,” a military hospital in the capital Lusaka
Zambia’s former president and one of Africa’s liberation giants, Kenneth Kaunda has died on Thursday following a struggle with pneumonia.
He was aged 97.
His son, Kambarage Kaunda announced his father’s death via a post on his Facebook page.
“Dear members,” he wrote, “I’m sad to inform, we have lost ‘Mzee’. Let’s pray for him.”
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Cabinet secretary Simon Miti said in an address on public television that Kaunda “died peacefully” at 2:30 pm (1230 GMT) at a military hospital where he had been admitted on Monday with pneumonia.
He declared 21 days of national mourning, in which flags will fly at half mast and ordered all forms of entertainment suspended.
President Edgar Lungu said he learnt of Kaunda’s death with “great sadness”.
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“You have gone at a time we least expected,” he said on Facebook, describing him as a “true African icon.”
In a terse statement, Kaunda’s office had on Monday said he was “unwell and was admitted to… Maina Soko Medical Centre,” a military hospital in the capital Lusaka.
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