Former Zambian President Edgar Lungu has passed away at the age of 68. His death was confirmed on Thursday morning by his political party, the Patriotic Front, in a statement shared on social media.
Lungu died while receiving specialized treatment at a medical facility in Pretoria, South Africa. His daughter, Tasila Lungu, who is also a member of parliament, announced the news through a video, saying: “My father had been under medical supervision in recent weeks. This condition was managed with dignity and privacy.”
Lungu suffered from a rare health condition that caused the narrowing of his food pipe. He had previously been treated in South Africa for the same issue, soon after becoming president in 2015.
Born in Ndola on November 11, 1956, Lungu was a lawyer by profession. Before becoming president, he served as justice and defence minister under President Michael Sata. After Sata died in 2015, Lungu stepped into the top job and later won the 2016 election for a full five-year term.
His time in office was mixed with both praise and criticism. On one hand, Lungu was commended for launching massive road-building projects and pushing for some constitutional reforms that aimed to limit presidential powers. On the other hand, he drove the country into deep debt, which worsened after Zambia defaulted on its international loans in 2020. This financial crisis played a major role in his 2021 election loss to Hakainde Hichilema.
His leadership was also marked by a strained relationship with the United States and the International Monetary Fund. At one point, Lungu even asked the U.S. ambassador to leave the country, while the IMF pulled out its representative due to policy disagreements.
Towards the end of his presidency, Lungu’s supporters were often accused of violent behavior, and critics said he didn’t do enough to stop them. Political analyst Lee Habasonda from the University of Zambia described Lungu’s rule as a “checkered legacy.” He added, “He tolerated thuggery by his supporters but also opened doors for the poorest Zambians to engage with power.”
After losing in 2021, Lungu went into retirement, but returned to politics in 2023 as the head of an opposition alliance. However, in December, Zambia’s constitutional court ruled that he was not eligible to run for president again.
Now, Zambia mourns a leader whose time in power was marked by ambition, controversy, and complexity.
By Lucky Anyanje
