Zambia: Edgar Lungu, Zambia's Former President, Dies in South Africa At 68
Zambia's former president Edgar Chagwa Lungu has died at the age of 68 while receiving medical treatment in South Africa, his family and the Patriotic Front party have confirmed.
Lungu passed away on Thursday morning, June 5, at Mediclinic Medforum Hospital in Pretoria, where he had been undergoing treatment reportedly related to cancer.
His daughter, Tasila Lungu-Mwansa, announced the death in a sombre video message shared on the Patriotic Front's official Facebook page.
"I wish to inform the nation and the world at large that our beloved father, husband and leader, His Excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the sixth president of the Republic of Zambia, has passed away," Tasila said, holding back tears.
"He died peacefully this morning while receiving treatment in Pretoria."
The Patriotic Front's acting president Given Lubinda also confirmed the news in a brief statement to local media, describing Lungu's passing as "a painful loss to the party and the country."
He added that the party would provide further details about funeral arrangements in due course.
Lungu served as president of Zambia from 2015 to 2021.
A lawyer by training, he was thrust into the presidency following the death of Michael Sata in 2014, first serving out the remainder of Sata's term after winning a special election in January 2015.
He was re-elected in a tightly contested general election in 2016, defeating opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema.
During his presidency, Lungu oversaw significant infrastructure projects and steered Zambia through difficult economic periods, particularly amid rising debt and fluctuating copper prices.
However, his administration was also marred by accusations of democratic backsliding, heavy-handed tactics against critics, and concerns about increasing authoritarianism.
After suffering a heavy defeat in the 2021 election to Hichilema, Lungu conceded and initially retired from politics.
He re-emerged in 2023, citing national duty and what he termed "the deterioration of democratic freedoms" under his successor, and later positioned himself as the head of a new opposition alliance aimed at contesting the 2026 general election.
However, in December 2024, Zambia's Constitutional Court ruled that he was ineligible to stand again, citing the country's two-term presidential limit.
The decision effectively ended his comeback attempt and reignited debate over presidential succession laws.
Lungu's final months were largely out of the public eye, though unconfirmed reports of ill health and travel to South Africa for medical care had circulated in recent weeks.
His death ends a controversial yet consequential chapter in Zambia's post-independence political history.
President Hakainde Hichilema, who was in Northern Province for a development tour at the time of the announcement, has reportedly cut short his programme.
In a statement released by State House, he expressed condolences to the Lungu family and ordered flags to fly at half-mast for seven days in honour of his predecessor.
"President Lungu served our country at a critical time. We may have differed politically, but he was a patriot and a son of this soil," Hichilema said.
Regional leaders, including Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa, also issued messages of condolence, calling Lungu a "dedicated statesman" who contributed to peace and regional cooperation in southern Africa.
Lungu is survived by his wife, Esther, and several children, including Tasila, who is a Member of Parliament.
The government is expected to coordinate with the family and the Patriotic Front party on funeral plans, with indications pointing to a state funeral befitting a former head of state.
Article is originally from Nile Post