Zambia’s former president, Edgar Lungu, who was in power for nearly seven years until 2021, reportedly passed away on Thursday in a hospital located in South Africa at the age of 68, as announced by his family and political party.
According to a statement from the Patriotic Front, Lungu had been undergoing specialised medical treatment at a clinic in Pretoria.
In a video shared on social media, his daughter Tasila Lungu-Mwansa stated, “My father had been under medical supervision in recent weeks.”
She mentioned that his condition was managed with dignity and privacy, with support from all well-wishers, although she did not disclose the specifics regarding the cause of his death.
News360 Info understands that Lungu had been dealing with recurring achalasia, a condition characterised by the narrowing of the oesophagus, for which he received treatment in South Africa.
A trained military officer and lawyer, Lungu resigned from the presidency in 2021 when veteran opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema, the current president, won the elections decisively.
He had expressed intentions to run for president again in the upcoming 2026 elections.
Lungu assumed office in 2015 following the death of his predecessor Michael Sata, and he often referred to himself as an “ordinary Zambian of humble beginnings.”
